The Golden Quartet - Year One
by September And Summer
Summary: Amara Matthews is your normal 11 year old girl - before she finds out she's a witch and gets he acceptance letter to Hogwarts. Now she's friends with Harry Potter, Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley... join her in her adventures - battling a troll, meeting a dragon and trying to save the Philosopher's Stone. It's going to be an exciting year! 1/7 in the series - please R
1. The News

**_A/N Hello, lovely readers! So, I should never-ever be a writer because my inspiration goes like ZAT. So this is my NEW story that I'm doing because I have recently read the most awesome stories with the 'Golden Trio + an OC'. This is MY version, and you'll be pleased to know that I've actually FINISHED - YES FINISHED, this book, so I shall be updating regularly (probably after Christmas though) and I can start the second book! So please review - they make me happy and if I get them, I'll update - K? I hope you like this!_**

**_ Chapter One_**

**_The News_**

Amara Matthews huffed in annoyance at the stubborn piece of dry lasagne that was sticking obstinately onto the cooking pot she was trying to wash up. Her younger siblings, Ethan and Tessie, were, instead of helping, playing with the bubbles from the washing up liquid and giggling happily. Tessie, who was only seven, was standing on a precarious pile of books that Amara had placed there (with dire warnings to be careful) so she could join in as she was very small and the stool she used to use was broken. Her parents had vacated the area with the excuse of 'work', which Amara thought was _funny, _as that afternoon they had gone to a Wildlife Park in Southampton and hadn't even _mentioned _'work'.

Amara had had fun at the Wildlife Park; they had driven down from their house and had had great fun looking at all the animals. They had also stopped by at Amara's grandparents' house for a cup of tea before going home.

Amara was happy that it was the summer holidays – her parents had decided to take a week off so they could do things together before it ended and Amara had to go to her new school. She didn't particularly want to go – it looked big and frightening when her school went for a tour. She preferred her Primary School with its bright colours and friendly teachers. She had been there since she was four, before that she had gone to a playschool in London. She had hated it there, especially after what had happened on her second day.

Her parents had forgotten about it a long time ago – with Ethan and Tessie and the move, but Amara had never forgot, eventhough she was very young when it had happened. She had enjoyed her first day immensely – they got to do painting and colouring (she had painted a flower and had proudly presented it to her parents after school). But the day after, they could play in the sandpit. Another boy, called Aaron, was also there with her. She had been making a sandcastle with some buckets and had just finished when Aaron had come over and smashed it. Amara, who was very proud of it, got angry at him. She didn't mean any harm to him (she said afterwards) but one second he was there next to her, and the next, he was on the floor on the other side of the classroom, crying. The toys he had been playing with were broken on the floor. Her teacher, Mrs Morris, was bewildered but angry. She hadn't a clue how he had ended up as far away as possible from Amara, but Aaron had told her that she had pushed him. Amara had got very upset. Amara shuddered at the memory of her shouting. Her parents had been shocked at what Mrs Morris had told them, but reasoned, along with the head teacher, that Amara couldn't have pushed the boy so far across the classroom.

Her Mother had been insistent on the choice of secondary school, as it was her old school and said that it was 'very good' in her day and that she'd make better friends than she had now. Amara had just gone along – she didn't care about it, she just wanted something new. Her friends were not that great, in all honesty, and she sort-of wanted new ones that weren't fickle. She wondered if _anything _exciting would ever happen, except from getting a new book. Amara sighed to herself and blinked in surprise as the piece of lasagne finally chipped off.

Amara frowned at it, as for only a second before; she swore it was firmly stuck onto the pot. It was another weird thing – just a tiny one – that always seemed to happen to her. Once again, when she was four and found out her mum was having another baby, she got so angry that every vase and picture frame glass smashed in the lounge. Her parents, along with her, had been very shocked. Another time, when she was doing her school nativity, she got so angry because she wasn't made the Star that, weirdly, she made Poppy Wood's (the actual Star) hair turn bright green for a week. All these occurrences left Amara in a muddle, but she had eventually blown it off, after her friends had assured her that it wasn't her and that it was actually Poppy's shampoo. She had tried to control her anger in the last few years so her friends stuck by her – it was good to have them. She knew that something funny always happened when she did get angry – her parents, though, laughed it off and said it was her 'imagination'.

After washing up the rest of the plates and cutlery (and mopping the floor free of soapy bubbles) she took Tessie upstairs to her bedroom to help put her to bed. Ethan had wondered off to watch TV with her parents. Tessie's bedroom was quite big; the walls were pale pink and had swirly silver and purple butterflies on them. Everything had a slight pink tinge to it – the lights had pink lampshades and there was a pink dolls house on the floor. There was a pink rug on the cream carpet (covering a stain of chocolate milk – a nasty spillage).

"Amara?" asked Tessie, wriggling under her butterfly print duvet and a load of brightly coloured teddies. "Can you tell a story? Mummy's read all the books on the shelf now. I don't want to read them again like she does."

Amara smiled "Okay… what do you want it to be about?"

"Witches! Like the one you dressed up for at Hallowe'en last year." grinned Tessie, making Amara look at the picture on her bedside table. It was of Amara, Tessie and Ethan, all dressed up ready for Hallowe'en. Amara was wearing a star-covered cloak with a black dress and a pointy hat adorned on her head. She held a cauldron to collect her sweets and her face was painted green. Tessie, after she had gotten over her fright of seeing Amara, was dressed up as a pumpkin with an orange face and Ethan was a vampire (he had outright refused to wear a witch's costume that Amara and Tessie said he should wear, much to their disappointment).

Amara rolled her eyes and giggled "They're not _real _Tess; they're just make-believe and used to scare people."

"No they're not! Why would someone make it up?"

"For a story! So it would be interesting!" she ignored the twinge in her stomach.

By the time Amara had finished the story, Tessie was asleep, so she crept out of the room and down the stairs to the very small library they had in their extension. She had been reading a very interesting book, and she couldn't wait to continue it.

By a glance, nobody would realise that Amara found some books interesting – especially a good fiction novel. But she did – classics, new ones, and old ones – anything that caught her fancy.

Amara didn't care so much for how she looked all the time (which her friends thought was silly) but her hair, which was a colourful dark brown, fell silkily down to just under her shoulders and swished and shined in the light, her eyes – a nice hazel – were bright and happy. Amara had other things to fuss about than wondering whether her hair was perfect (which meant some of the time it was just a massive dreadlock or looked like she had been dragged through a bush backwards, as her mum liked to put it) or if she looked 'ok'. She liked to sketch when she had the inspiration, or go on 'adventures' with Ethan. This normally meant coming home drenched with water or bruises blooming before their eyes. She always made them go climb a tree or they'd dare each other to jump in the freezing cold river. Mr and Mrs Matthews had long since told them off – they just sighed now and went off to get the first-aid box.

Her parents came into the lounge as she curled up onto the sofa in the library; they were talking quietly, so Ethan wouldn't wake up as an excuse to stay up late. Because he was nine, he had decided his bedtime, was too early, and made any excuse to stay up. His most recent one was that Mr and Mrs Matthews talked too loudly in the lounge.

Amara smiled at the memory and started to read her book, which was a classic. It was '_The Hobbit' _which she was enjoying enormously. She had only read the first chapter of many, but knew it would keep her occupied for a long while.

She read for about an hour before her eyes went all droopy and her head nodded. Soon she was fast asleep on the page, snoring quietly.

Her dream was very weird – from what she remembered, there was Tessie in it, and she was proclaiming that she was a witch. She had got a broomstick and transfigured Amara into a worm. Before she flew away, she prodded her lightly again and again.

Someone was prodding her lightly in real life, but Amara didn't want to know. She liked the weird dream she was having. She wished she was a witch like Tessie too.

"Amara? Sweetie, it's time for bed."

Amara lifted her head off her book slowly and stifled a yawn. The page had stuck to her face and ripped a little. She sighed but closed it anyway.

"W-what time is it?" she said, the yawn, knowing its chance, escaped readily.

"It's nearly eleven – we didn't see you in here! We thought you were upstairs. C'mon, you'll be a right grouchy girl in the morning."

Amara had barely got ready for bed in her large loft-converted bedroom before she sunk into her queen sized bed and fell asleep.

-OOOOOOO-

Amara woke a little later than normal the next morning, but she was still a little tired. She got out of her bed (eventhough it was very cosy) and got washed and dressed. Before going down to breakfast she sat on the windowsill above her bed and looked down the very quiet drive with a load of big new brick houses. Her own house was a very reasonable size – there were four bedrooms (her parents, Tessie's, Ethan's and hers) three bathrooms, a small library and art studio, a lounge, kitchen/diner and a study. They had lived there for seven years – ever since Tessie was born. Before that, they lived in a small, two bedroomed flat in the outskirts of London. Amara hadn't liked it much – she had had to share a room with Ethan. But Mr Matthews had got a decent job and was able to make the move, so they were happy. They had thought of moving again, but Amara talked them out of it, for where they lived, in Winchester, was perfect for them and they were very cosily settled in. Amara, in a daze, didn't notice the strangely dressed woman who appeared, as though out of thin air, at the end of the long drive. She also didn't notice when she started to walk up towards her house.

Amara, having received toast and juice from her Mum, was munching happily when the doorbell rang.

"Who could that be?" murmured Mrs Matthews as Tessie yelled that she would get it, wearing only her pyjamas and slippers.

"MUUUM!" Tessie yelled very loudly from the front door "A WEIRD LADY IS HERE TO SEE YOU AND AMARAAA!"

"Tessie!" admonished Mrs Matthews as she hurried out of the kitchen, wiping her hands on her apron "That's rude!"

Amara, brushing crumbs off her fingers, hopped off into the hall as well, to see what the fuss was about.

A tall thin woman with curly blonde hair stood on the doormat. She looked normal, apart from the fact that she looked like she was wearing some sort of cloak-dress you could buy at a costume shop.

"Mummy, why is she wearing dress –up clothes?" Tessie asked tugging at her Mum's apron.

The strange woman laughed before stepping smartly into the house, without invitation. Weirdly, Amara didn't feel affronted by this, but quite calm.

"Do you mind if I come in? We have a lot to discuss…"

Mrs Matthews nodded dazily, wondering who on earth the lady was. Five minutes later, Amara, her mum and dad and the strange lady were in the lounge, laden with tea.

"You must be Amara?" she asked, Amara nodded. She turned to her parents.

"I am Clarisse Smith from the Ministry of Magic and am here to inform you that your child Amara has a place at a very special school - Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry." She rummaged in her handbag and produced a sealed envelope, before handing it to Amara.

Perplexed, she flipped it over and saw, on the old-fashioned parchment, a wax seal with a crest on it. It had inscribed: a lion, a badger a snake and an eagle surrounding a large 'H'. With trembling fingers, she ripped it open.

Two sheets of the parchment fell out, but she opened the first. The ink was a nice emerald green and was in a very neat, curly scrawl. It didn't seem to be written in a normal pen, but Amara did not know what it was written with.

_HOGWARTS SCHOOL OF WITCHCRAFT AND WIZARDRY _

_Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore_

_(Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc., Chf. Warlock, Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. of Wizards)_

_Dear Miss Matthews_

_ We are pleased to inform you that you have a place at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment. Term begins on 1 September. We await your owl by no later than 31 July._

_Yours sincerely_

_Minerva McGonagall_

_Deputy Headmistress _

Amara stared at the letter until the writing went out of focus. Wordlessly she gave it to her parents to read. They read it silently and without a sound. Mrs Matthews was gaping like a fish whilst Mr Matthews was wide-eyed and interested. Clarisse sat patiently, drinking the tea politely.

"I'm a witch?" Amara asked bluntly after a while of silence.

Clarisse nodded "Yes."

"And it says 'we await your owl'."

Clarisse nodded again.

"AMARA'S A WITCH!" yelled a voice from outside the door. With a bang, Ethan and Tessie tumbled into the room.

Clarisse smiled "I think I need to explain…"

-OOOOOOO-

Around two hours later, after Amara and her parents had completely exhausted Clarisse with question after question, the family and Clarisse decided to make a trip to Diagon Alley to get the supplies needed. They had decided to let Amara go to Hogwarts, as Amara had pointed out, it was 'a once in a lifetime thing' and 'who wants to go to a normal school anyway?'. Her Mum was slightly worried and sad that she was to go away the whole year and not know where she was, but Clarisse had squashed it down with 'Hogwarts is a very safe place' and 'You can still see her at Christmas'. Her mum and dad, as they were as excited and eager as Amara was, decided they would go to, meaning Tessie and Ethan got dragged along too, which they didn't seem to mind.

Amara's head was buzzing in anticipation and excitement. Who would have thought _she _was a witch? And after her weird dream too!

Tessie was almost flying with excitement at the prospect of going to 'magical shops'. She had started up a round of questions for Clarisse, but Amara had promised to tell her afterwards from the look on Clarisse's face.

"You said witches weren't real." Tessie pouted as they sat in their car on the motorway.

"I didn't know did I?" said Amara next to her, her mum on Amara's right. Her dad was receiving instructions from Clarisse at the front and Ethan, who was in the very backseat in the boot, was listening to his brand new headphones that he got for his birthday. They were relatively new to the 'muggle' world, as Clarisse said they were called, and didn't exist in the wizarding world, apparently, and Clarisse was fascinated with them when she first saw them.

"Am I a wizard?" piped up Ethan from the back.

"Yeah, am I a witch?" asked Tessie

"How come I'm magical and Mum and Dad aren't?" asked Amara

Clarisse answered the questions quickly "The two of you could be – it is quite likely and Amara, you are something called a 'Muggleborn'. This means you have muggle parents. The other ones are called Half-bloods – half and half, and Purebloods, which have both wizard parents. You might find some people don't like Muggleborns, but don't worry, they are old-fashioned and are prejudice."

"Why don't they like us?" asked Amara

"They don't think you're worthy… but let's not talk about that, only a few still think that. Turn left." She added to Mr Matthews.

They, after an hour, arrived in London to find Diagon Alley. Amara was bouncing with excitement at this prospect. Clarisse directed them to Charing Cross Road, which Amara thought was interesting.

"Where is Diagon Alley? Won't it be hidden or something?"

"It's through that pub," said Clarisse as they parked the car. She was pointing at extremely dirty pub that you wouldn't be able to notice if you just walked by. In fact, Amara noted, nobody passing was looking at it except from her family.

"C'mon." Clarisse said, holding Tessie's hand (which Tessie made her do, with the words 'I'm holding hands with a witch!").

The family went through the dimly lit pub and into the small courtyard in the back, which held a dustbin and discarded bottles. They crowded in, Tessie jumping up and down.

Amara and her family looked around curiously. Clarisse, obviously knowing what to do, raised a thin wooden stick and tapped a few bricks on the wall above the dustbin. Three up and two across, Amara noticed. She tapped the brick with the stick and it started to wriggle. A hole appeared and before their eyes, it grew larger and larger until an archway led to a bright busy street.

"Welcome to Diagon Alley."

Amara was wide-eyed and stared around her in awe. It was hard to look at everything at once – an apothecary, a cauldron shop, a robe shop, a pet shop – colourful stalls, witches and wizards (Ethan swore he saw a hag). She caught snippets of everyone's conversations:

"Have you got that new recipe book? _Charm your own cheese?_"

"I've lost those sickles again!"

"A sickle for a jar of newts? Bargain!"

"Look 'Mara, it's a _broomstick!" _Ethan said excitedly "What do they do with that?"

"They fly it," said Clarisse "We have a sport."

"Awesome!" Amara and Ethan said together.

They passed an Owl shop, where the Owls hooted and shrieked at them as they passed. Ethan stuck out his tongue at them.

"Clarisse? How do we pay for all these things? The currency is bound to be different." Mrs Matthews said nervously, looking at a witch selling sweets that was making a child float. Amara wanted to try one.

"Oh yes, we'll go to Gringotts – the wizard bank. Our currency is Galleons, Sickles and Knuts. There are twenty-nine Knuts to a Sickle and seventeen Sickles to a Galleon. Galleons are gold, Sickles are silver and Knuts are bronze – easy enough."

They stopped to let a crowd of red-haired children chatter past – Amara thought they looked friendly- before heading up the steps of a grand, snowy white building.

"What does it say you need to buy again?" asked Clarisse to Amara. She unfolded the second piece of parchment and read aloud.

_HOGWARTS SCHOOL OF WITCHCRAFT AND WIZARDRY_

Uniform

_First-year students will require:_

_1. Three sets of plain black work robes (black)_

_2. One plain pointed hat (black) for day wear_

_3. One pair of protective gloves (dragon hide or similar)_

_4. One winter cloak (black, silver fastenings)_

_Please note that all pupils' clothes should carry name tags._

Set Books

_All students should have a copy of each of the following:_

The Standard Book of Spells_ by Miranda Goshawk_

A History of Magic_ by Bathilda Bagshot _

Magical Theory_ by Adalbert Waffling_

A Beginners' Guide to Transfiguration_ by Emeric Switch_

One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi_ by Phyllida Spore_

Magical Drafts and Potions_ by Arsenius Jigger_

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them_ by Newt Scamander_

The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection_ by Quentin Trimble_

Other Equipment

_1 wand_

_1 cauldron (pewter, standard size 2)_

_1 set glass or crystal phials_

_1 telescope_

_1 set of brass scales_

_Students may also bring an owl OR a cat OR a toad_

_PARENTS ARE REMINDED THAT FIRST-YEARS ARE NOT ALLOWED THEIR OWN BROOMSTICKS_

"Be careful of Goblins- you don't want to get on the wrong side of _them._" Clarisse warned as they passed two stern Goblins at the entrance. Amara gulped nervously.

They entered a Hall that was made out of marble. There were Goblins everywhere, weighing huge jewels and treasure. Tessie's eyes were so wide they could pop out. The family unconsciously moved together as they passed. Clarisse walked importantly up the hall to a Goblin who was writing something down.

"I'm here to exchange muggle money." she said, after the Goblin looked up.

"Indeed, would you like to set up a vault for future extractions or would you prefer to exchange now?" asked the Goblin. Clarisse looked at the nervous faces.

"We'll just exchange now."

"How much?" asked Mr Matthews, reaching for his wallet.

"I think about forty Galleons would be sufficient- you'll probably have some left over." said the Goblin.

-OOOOOOO-

A while later, Amara was standing outside the first wizarding shop she would go into, it was a robe shop – which was the cloak-dress thing that Clarisse was wearing. It was called _Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions. _

The family went inside. A witch with purple robes came out to greet them.

"Hogwarts?" she asked immediately, looking at her.

They nodded and Amara was shown to the back room. Clarisse and her family were told to wait.

"I have another customer too – just hop on that stool please." said the witch, who was actually Madam Malkin.

An assistant was helping a girl around her age on the stool next to her. As Madam Malkin put some robes on Amara and pinned the correct length, the girl started talking to her.

"Are you going to Hogwarts too?" she asked, shaking her blonde hair out of her face.

Amara nodded as Madam Malkin went to stitch her robes up.

"I'm Sally-Anne Perks by the way – found out this morning I was witch, my parents were shocked but it's all very exciting isn't it?" she said, her voice brimming with excitement.

Amara grinned "Same, I'm Amara Matthews."

"I can't wait to go to Hogwarts, you know, I wonder what's going to be like, I asked so many questions to the witch who came to see me – her name is Katherine Joules – and I swear to God she looked like she was going to collapse – it was insane! I just couldn't believe it, I mean, we get to do _magic _and get a wand and get loads of books and stuff! My parents were truly baffled when they found out, and my little brother Micky was crying because he can't go yet. Do you have any siblings?" Sally-Anne asked in one breath.

Amara laughed inwardly at Sally's talking. "Yes," she replied "I have a younger brother and sister."

The two girls chatted whilst Madam Malkin and the assistant were finishing off. Sally-Anne finished first but Amara only had to wait another five before she finished hers.

"There you go." said Madam Malkin, handing Amara a package of three sets of robes, a cloak and a hat.

Amara thanked her, paid her and left the shop with her family and Clarisse.

Around forty-five minutes later, Amara had got all her supplies except her wand. She had brought a nice pair of crystal phials (she had swapped them from glass) and brass scales. Her telescope was able to fold up neatly and her cauldron (after being told off for wanting a gold one) was reasonable. She had brought all the set books too, and had little self-control of buying more. She ended up buying an extra magical creature's book, because she found them interesting.

Now they walked into _Ollivander's Wand Shop _which was what Amara had been looking forward to the most. It was empty in the mysteriously dim shop, Amara could hear every noise. Mrs Matthews sat down on the spindly chair in the corner with Tessie, who was looking nervous, on her lap. Ethan, Mr Matthews and Clarisse stood next to them, with Amara next to the desk in the middle of the shop.

"Hello," said a voice to her right, making Amara jump. "Miss…?"

"Matthews, Amara Matthews." trembled Amara

"Well, Miss Matthews, you need to wand? Ah! Miss Smith! How nice of you to come here!" smiled the man, who, Amara guessed, was Mr Ollivander. He looked old with tufty grey hair.

Clarisse nodded and smiled.

"Now, your wand was Maple and Unicorn Hair, was it not? 12 ½ inches – surprisingly springy." Mr Ollivander said

"How d'you remember that?" asked Amara in awe.

"I remember every single wand I have ever sold, Miss Matthews… shall we get started?" he asked "Hold out your wand arm."

Amara held out her right, for she wrote with that one and guessed that was what he meant.

Mr Ollivander's tape measurer measured her everywhere by itself. He came back from the shelves and deposited several long boxes onto the desk. With a snap, the tape measure fell to the floor.

"Try this – Vine and Unicorn hair, whippy." He said, picking up a dark wand from a box and handing it to her.

Amara took the wand and stared at him.

"Give it a wave!"

Amara, feeling foolish, swished the wand above her head. The wands in the boxes flung themselves around the room.

"No! No!" Mr Ollivander snatched it away.

The wand pile on the desk started to grow, sometimes Amara hadn't even touched the wand before he snatched it off again.

Amara was starting to feel desperate – what if she wasn't a witch after all?

"Here, Pear and Dragon Heartstring, strange combination, I usually use Unicorn Hair with pear… 11 ¼ inches – fairly bendy."

Amara held the wand and a warm feeling went through her hand. The wand lit up and a stream of rainbow coloured sparks arched around the shop, lighting up the dark corners. Cobwebs shone for a second before the sparks fizzled out.

"Excellent! Excellent!" cried Mr Ollivander as Clarisse and her family clapped in approval. "Pear wands usually go for the warm-hearted, the generous and the wise, it also will look new even in old age. A very fine wand indeed. That will be seven Galleons please!"

Amara handed him seven golden galleons from her purse and walked out of the shop with Clarisse and her family, grinning widely.

They decided to stop for ice-cream at Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour, for it looked friendly and they were hungry. They treated Clarisse with one, as a thank you for her help. Amara was amazed and delighted at the different flavours there were, her parents weren't brave enough to try other flavours, but Amara and Ethan bought Strawberry and Peanut Butter, and Tessie got a bubble-gum flavoured one that had fizzy balls that made you able to spit sparks.

The way home was uneventful- apart from Tessie and Ethan begging to hold Amara's wand. They had said good-bye to Clarisse outside The Leaky Cauldron, and Amara, who wanted to keep waving inside the car, was astounded to find that she had vanished in a blink of an eye.


	2. The Journey from Platform 9 and 34

**_A/N Wow, twice in one day - whoo! Happy Christmas!:D_**

**_Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of the rights, it all belongs to J.K Rowling and other affiliations such as Warner Bros._**

**_Chapter Two_**

**_The Journey from Platform 9 and ¾ _**

The rest of the summer blurred by – Amara's parents, wanting to spend all the time possible with Amara before she disappeared to who-knows-where until Christmas, had an event practically every day. Amara was quite fond of it – she would miss her parents too.

As Clarisse had told them, the rest of Amara's family could not know about Witches and Wizards, so they told them Amara had received a scholarship to a special boarding school a way away.

Amara found her school books very interesting – there were all these spells and potions and completely different plants. She was eager to learn Charms, Potions and Herbology as they looked interesting. She read well into the night, absorbing the information.

All too soon it was September 1st. Amara's stomach was crossed between nervous jolts and happy leaps. It made her feel quite sick and unable to swallow any breakfast.

Mr Matthews offered to take Amara with him, for he had a meeting in London that day. They set off at quarter past nine and managed to arrive at Kings Cross at quarter to eleven.

Mr Matthews placed Amara's trunk that she'd brought on a trolley and wheeled it into the station. Amara followed him nervously. It was busy on the platforms but the two of them manoeuvred their way to the ticket barrier between nine and ten. Clarisse, before leaving, had told them all Amara had to do was run or walk between Platforms 9 and 10 to enter Platform 9 and ¾.

Mr Matthews glanced at his watch. "You okay to go in now Amara? You only have ten minutes."

Amara nodded, and after giving her father a hug, she walked quickly forwards towards the looming barrier. She squeezed her eyes shut to wait for the impact which never came.

When she opened them, she gasped. A scarlet steam train stood proudly with steam sweeping around the platform.

Before she could admire it for longer, a boy about fifteen asked if she wanted any help.

"Yes thanks." Amara said, and they hauled her trunk onto the train. After thanking him again, Amara set about looking for a spare compartment.

The first few were tightly packed – the next a group of mean boys. She finally found a compartment with a boy and two girls in who looked about her age.

"Hello," said Amara, creaking the door open. "I was wondering if I could I sit here?"

One of the girls smiled. "Of course – are you a first-year too?"

Amara nodded and with the help of the others, hefted her trunk into the rack.

"I'm Hannah Abbott," said one girl, with a pink-face and very high blonde pigtails.

"I'm Anthony Goldstein," said the boy with dirty blonde hair and sparkling blue eyes.

"I'm Amara Matthews." said Amara, smiling at the two of them.

The last girl introduced herself rather snootily "Daphne Greengrass." She said

Amara nodded, the aura around the girl seemed to be very… _strange. _Amara knew she wasn't a girl she wanted to be friends with, but being as she was, she still was friendly to her.

Amara sat down by the window and looked outside. The tall buildings of London had already whizzed out of sight – now there were neat green fields and towns.

"What House would you be in, if you had the choice?" asked Hannah

Amara blinked confusedly "Houses?"

"Why, yes, we get put into Houses where we stay in I think, I don't know how though. There's Hufflepuff, Gryffindor, Ravenclaw and Slytherin."

Amara frowned.

"What blood status are you?" interjected Daphne

"Muggleborn – I mean, my parents are muggles." Amara said, hoping Daphne wasn't one of 'those' purebloods.

"Ah, that explains it." Anthony said smiling

"I've always wanted to know," began Daphne keenly "How muggleborns get their letters."

"Well a woman from the Ministry or something came and explained it all too me." Amara explained.

"You didn't receive it by owl?" Daphne blinked

Amara shook her head "No, I never have. It sounds odd to me; we get it by post – through the postman."

Daphne, who was a pureblood, asked a load of questions to Amara, which she thought strange, as Amara was more interested at Daphne's life.

'Though,' she mused inside her head 'It might weird for Daphne to think of life like mine.'

"What houses have your relatives been in?" asked Amara

"My mum was a Hufflepuff." Hannah stated proudly.

Daphne snorted.

"What?" Amara asked her

"Well," she said, ignoring Hannah's affronted look "Isn't it meant to be filled with – well – _duffers?" _

Hannah looked, if possible, even more affronted. She sniffed and turned away from Daphne, who looked rather amused.

"What about _you?" _Hannah said, recovering. Amara decided that she forgave easily.

"My family, except for a few, have been in Slytherin." Daphne said.

Hannah and Anthony exchanged a glance.

"What?" asked Daphne and Amara together.

Amara was starting to feel as though she knew _nothing _of the Wizarding World. Her textbooks were one thing – but Wizarding _history?_

"Um," Hannah said awkwardly

"Isn't Slytherin meant to be fullofbadwizards?" mumbled Anthony

Daphne's eyes narrowed.

"_Full of bad wizards?" _she repeated "Just because You-Know-Who was a Slytherin doesn't mean they're all bad!"

Before the others could reply, Amara cut in.

"Who's You-Know-Who?"

Daphne and the others looked uneasy.

"Well -."

"Anything off the trolley dears?" asked a short grey haired woman at the door.

Amara, as breakfast didn't go down, hopped up, intending to buy some good chocolate.

There were a whole range of wizard sweets – Cauldron Cakes, Chocolate Frogs – Pumpkin Pasties and Liquorice Wands. Amara, spilling out her money, brought – what she hoped – was a little of everything except the Liquorice (which she hated).

"Hungry?" asked Hannah

Amara nodded, her cheeks bulging with a Cauldron Cake.

The others had brought sweets too and they had fun swapping sweets and making Amara try out everything.

"_Bertie Botts Every Flavour Beans," _Amara read out, holding a colourful box.

"Be careful – they mean Every Flavour." snorted Anthony

Disbelieving him, Amara opened the box and chose one without looking. She popped it into her mouth and choked.

"_Soap?" _ she croaked "That's gross!"

Anthony, Hannah and Daphne laughed.

They had fun with the Beans – Anthony got put off after a rather vile sulphur flavoured one. Amara got, after the soap one, shrimp, peppermint, yogurt, liver, strawberry jelly and mayonnaise.

She decided to collect Chocolate Frog cards too – Hannah had readily introduced them to her.

Sometime in the afternoon, there was a knock at the compartment door. A girl with a load of bushy brown hair and big front teeth walked into the compartment, dressed in her school robes.

"Hello, I was wondering if you have seen a toad. A boy in my compartment has lost one." She said.

Amara shook her head. "Sorry, but I could help look if you like."

The girl nodded and walked out of the compartment.

With a goodbye to the others, Amara joined her outside.

"If you go that way, I'll go this way." The girl said bossily "I'm Hermione Granger by the way."

"Amara Matthews – see you later then,"

Amara headed down the corridor, checking in the compartments with friendly-looking people in. She opened the door to one with only two people in.

One had very red hair with a load of freckles and was holding his wand, the other boy was skinny, with black hair and glasses.

"Hi, have you seen a toad? This boy has lost one." Amara said

"We've already told him we haven't." said the red-haired boy

"Oh, sorry," said Amara "I don't know why he bothers, a toad for a pet sounds really dull – _and _I have no clue about stuff in this world."

"Are you muggleborn?" asked the red-haired boy as they stifled a laugh.

Amara nodded "I'm Amara Matthews by the way. Can I sit down? I can't be bothered to look anymore."

They nodded.

"I'm Ron Weasley," said the red-haired boy

"Harry Potter," muttered the black-haired one

Amara smiled. "So, are you guys excited for Hogwarts?"

Ron gave her a slight weird glance and then at Harry.

"Yeah, I -"

"Has anyone seen a toad – oh, Amara, you've checked this one."

Hermione was back, she walked into the compartment.

"Are you doing magic?" she asked "Let's see then."

Ron looked taken aback, Amara stifled a snort. Harry shot her an amused glance. Amara noticed that Ron had a rat asleep on his lap.

"Er – all right."

He cleared his throat.

"Sunshine, daisies, butter mellow,

Turn this stupid, fat rat yellow."

Ron waved his wand, Amara waited expectantly, but nothing happened. The rat stayed grey and asleep.

"Are you sure that's a real spell?" Hermione asked Ron "Well, it's not very good, is it? I've tried a few simple spells just for practice and it's all worked for me. Nobody in my family is magic at all, it was ever such a surprise when I got my letter, but I was ever so pleased, of course, I mean, it's the very best school of witchcraft there is, I've heard – I've learnt all our set books off by heart, of course, I just hope it will be enough – I'm Hermione Granger, by the way, who are you?"

Amara was very impressed at how fast Hermione said this. She looked at Harry's and Ron's faces and was relieved to see that it was obvious they hadn't learnt the books from heart either.

"I'm Ron Weasley," Ron muttered after a while.

"Harry Potter," said Harry.

"Are you really?" said Hermione "I know all about you, of course – I got a few extra books for background reading, and you're in _Modern Magical History _and _Great Wizarding Events of the Twentieth Century._"

"Am I?" said Harry, looking slightly dazed.

"What?" Amara said "He's famous?" she turned to Harry "You're _famous? _Thanks for telling me!"

"I haven't known for that long," said Harry honestly "I didn't know anything!"

"Goodness, didn't you know, I'd have found out everything I could if it was me – especially you Amara, you being like me." said Hermione "Do any of you know what house you'll be in? I've been asking around and I hope I'm in Gryffindor, it sounds by far the best, I hear Dumbledore himself was one, but I suppose Ravenclaw wouldn't be too bad… Anyway, I'd better go and find Neville's toad. You three had better change, you know, I expect we'll be there soon. Bye Amara."

She left, leaving Amara staring after her in bewilderment.

"Whatever house I'm in, I hope she's not in it," said Ron. Amara agreed as he threw his wand back in his trunk. "Stupid spell – George gave it to me, bet he knew it was a dud."

"What house are your brothers in?" asked Harry.

"Gryffindor," said Ron, for some reason gloomily. "Mum and Dad were in it, too. I don't know what they'll say if I'm not. I don't suppose Ravenclaw _would _be too bad, but imagine if they put me in Slytherin."

"That's the house Vol- I mean, You-Know-Who was in?"

"Yeah," said Ron. He flopped back into his seat, looking depressed.

"Can someone tell me who this You-Know-Who is?" asked Amara "Nobody's told me."

Ron shifted uneasily, but Harry opened his mouth.

"That's why, apparently, I'm famous," he said "Voldemort – well, You-Know-Who," he said as Ron flinched.

"Why 'You-Know-Who'? Why don't they say his name?"

"Because people are scared too," said Harry.

"But it's just a name," said Amara.

"I know – anyway. You-Know-Who was a Dark Wizard about twenty years ago. He killed by parents but he couldn't kill me, for some reason." Harry said.

"That's why you're famous?" Amara said "What a horrible thing to be famous for!"

Harry nodded in agreement, while Ron still looked unhappy.

"You know, I think the ends of Scabbers' whiskers are a bit lighter," said Harry, Amara knew it was to cheer him up. "So what do your oldest brothers do now they've left, anyway?"

"How many do you have?" asked Amara in surprise, leaning forwards to hear his answer.

"Five – and a younger sister," said Ron, still looking glum "Charlie's in Romania studying dragons and Bill's in Africa doing something for Gringotts."

"Cool!" Amara said "I only have a younger sister and brother, they're not that fun. Wish I had older wizard brothers and sisters."

"No you don't, but did you hear about Gringotts? It's been all over the _Daily Prophet, _but I don't suppose you get that with the Muggles – someone tried to rob a high-security vault."

Amara and Harry stared.

"Really?"

"What happened?" asked Harry.

"Nothing, that's why it's such big news. They haven't been caught. My dad says it must've been a powerful Dark wizard to get round Gringotts, but they don't think they took anything, that's what's odd. 'Course, everyone gets scared when something like this happened in case You-Know-Who's behind it."

Amara didn't like the sound of this You-Know-Who – she felt safer calling him 'Voldemort' so that it would be less worry. "That's weird." she said.

"What are your Quidditch teams?" Ron asked.

"What's Quidditch?" Amara asked

"What!" Ron looked dumbfounded. "Oh, you wait, it's the best game in the world –," And he was off, explaining all about the four balls and the positions of the seven players, describing famous fames he'd been to with his brothers and the broomstick he'd like to get if he had the money. Amara found it extremely interesting and couldn't wait to get on a broomstick herself – Ron was just taking them through the finer points of the game when the compartment door slid open, but it wasn't Hermione this time.

Three boys entered, the two either side were huge and looked very mean and looked like body guards against the middle boy. He was skinny and pale and was looking at Harry in interest. Amara felt an immediate wave of dislike for him.

"Is it true?" he said. "They're saying all down the train they Harry Potter's in this compartment. So it's you, is it?"

"Yes," said Harry, who was looking at the other boys warily.

"Oh, this is Crabbe and Goyle," said the pale boy, rather carelessly, noticing Harry's gaze. "And my name's Malfoy, Draco Malfoy."

Amara and Ron gave a slight snort that was covering up a snigger. Draco Malfoy looked at them both.

"Think my name's funny, do you? No need to ask who you are. My father told me all the Weasleys have red hair, freckles and more children than they can afford. And you," he said to Amara "I don't know who _you _are, and I don't care, because you're as worthless as the Weasleys – who count themselves_ pure."_

He turned back to Harry.

"You'll soon find out that some wizarding families are much better than others, Potter. You don't want to go making friends with the wrong sort. I can help you there."

He held out his hand to shake Harry's, but Harry didn't take it.

"I think I can tell who the wrong sort are for myself, thanks," he said coolly.

Draco Malfoy did not go red, but a pink tinge appeared on his pale cheeks.

"I'd be careful if I were you, Potter," he said slowly. "Unless you're a bit politer, you'll go the same way as your parents. They didn't know what was good for them, either. You hang around with riff-raff like her, the Weasleys and that Hagrid and it'll rub off on you."

The three of them stood up. Ron was very red – it matched his hair.

"Say that again," Amara snarled.

"Oh, you're going to fight us, are you?" Malfoy sneered at her.

"Unless you get out now," said Harry, Amara gulped at the size of Crabbe and Goyle.

"But we don't feel like leaving, do we, boys? We've eaten all our food and you still seem to have some."

Goyle went towards a Chocolate Frog near Ron – Ron leapt forward, but before he had even touched him, he let out a yell.

Scabbers, Ron's rat, was hanging off his knuckle painfully – his teeth were sunk deep into it. Crabbe and Malfoy backed away as Goyle started to swing Scabbers around, trying to get him off. He finally flew off and hit the window. Amara saw them leave quickly, and a second later, Hermione Granger came in again.

"What _has _been going on?" she said, looking at all the sweets. Amara ignored her and looked at Ron, was had picked Scabbers up.

"I think he's been knocked out," Ron said to Harry and Amara. He peered closer. "No – I don't believe it – he's gone back to sleep."

And so he had. Amara started laughing.

"You've met Malfoy before?" said Amara to Harry, recovering.

Harry told them his meeting.

"I've heard of his family," said Ron darkly. "They were some of the first to come back to our side after You-Know-Who disappeared. Said they'd been bewitched. My dad doesn't believe it. He says Malfoy's father didn't need an excuse to go over to the Dark Side." He turned to Hermione. "Can we help you with something?"

"You'd better hurry up and put your robes on, I've just been up to the front to ask the conductor, and he says we're nearly there. You haven't been fighting, have you? You'll be in trouble before we even get there!"

"Scabbers has been fighting, not us," said Ron, scowling at her. "Would you mind leaving while we change?"

"Why are you here?" Amara said.

"I only came in here because people outside are behaving very childishly, racing up and down the corridors," said Hermione in a sniffy voice. "And you've got dirt on your nose, by the way, did you know?"

Ron scowled as she left. Amara snorted "I'd better go change too, look, it's getting dark. Bye."

Harry and Ron bade her goodbye as she hurried out of the compartment. There were indeed people running up and down the corridors. Amara ran too, she wanted to be quick.

When she reached her compartment, she found Daphne and Hannah already changed. Anthony had disappeared.

"He went to get change somewhere else." Hannah informed her, as Amara slipped on her robes. "Where have you been?"

"Went and sat in another compartment," said Amara "Ron Weasley and Harry Potter."

Daphne and Hannah gasped "Really?" asked Hannah "What's he like?"

Amara shrugged, but didn't reply, as a message from the driver rang through the train.

"_We will be reaching Hogwarts in five minutes time, Please leave your luggage on the train, it will be taken to the school separately."_

Amara was a jumble of nerves as she stepped out onto the tiny, dark platform. She struggled against the surge of people to get over to the man saying first-years. She shivered at the cold and her nerves.

"Firs' years! Firs' years over here! Alright Harry?"

Amara sped up as she saw Harry and Ron near a huge man with a massive beard.

"Who's_ that?_" she asked behind them, making them jump.

"Don't do that Amara!" Ron said

"He's Hagrid." Harry told her, as the giant man kept calling.

"C'mon, follow me – anymore firs' years? Mind yer step, now! Firs' years follow me!"

Amara had to grab hold of Harry for support as she slipped and stumbled on the steep narrow path. Amara heard Neville, the boy who lost his toad, sniffing.

"Yeh'll get your firs' sight o' Hogwarts in a sec,' Hagrid called over his shoulder, "jus' around this bend here."

Amara gasped. The path had opened suddenly onto the edge of an enormous lake that was black in the light. Perched atop the high mountain on the other side was a vast castle with twinkling windows from the stars and loads of turrets and towers.

"No more'n four to a boat!" Hagrid called, pointing at the fleet of boats sitting on the shore. Harry, Ron and Amara were followed into their boat by Hermione (Neville looked scared in a boat without her).

"Everyone in?" shouted Hagrid, who sat in one by himself "Right then – FORWARD!"

The fleet of boats moved obediently off the shore and glided across the smooth lake. Amara was silently gazing at the castle in awe – she couldn't wait to go inside. It got bigger as they sailed towards the cliff face.

"Heads down!" yelled Hagrid as they reached the cliff; they bent their heads and the boats went through a curtain of ivy that carried them through a tunnel. They reached a sort of underground harbour that seemed to be right underneath the castle. The clambered out of the boats and onto the pebbly shore.

"Oy, you there! Is this your toad?" said Hagrid, as he checked the boats.

"Trevor!" cried Neville blissfully, holding his hands out. Then they clambered up a passageway in the rock, following Hagrid's lamp. Finally they came out onto the smooth, damp grass in the shadow of the castle.

They walked up the stone steps and crowded around the oak front door that was huge.

"Everyone here? You there, still got yer toad?"

Hagrid raised on of his gigantic fists and knocked loudly three times on the door.


	3. The Sorting Hat

**_Chapter Three_**

**_The Sorting Hat_**

The door swung open immediately. A tall witch with black hair and wearing emerald-green robes stood there. She had a slightly tight and stern face that Amara wouldn't like to see angry.

"The firs' years, Professor McGonagall," said Hagrid.

"Thank you, Hagrid. I will take them from here."

The witch pulled the door wider so they could come through. The entrance hall was so big it could have just fit Amara's house in it. The walls, made out of stone, had flaming torches and the ceiling was so high you couldn't see it. There was a magnificent marble staircase that led upwards. Amara loved it already.

They all followed Professor McGonagall across the hall, past the drone of hundreds of voices that came from their right ('the rest of the school must be waiting,' Amara thought) and into a small, empty chamber. They crowded in, Amara stood close to Harry and Ron, who both looked happy to oblige. They peered around nervously.

"Welcome to Hogwarts," said Professor McGonagall. "The start-of-term banquet will begin shortly, but before you take your seats in the Great Hall, you will be sorted into your houses. The Sorting is a very important ceremony because, while you are here, your house will be something like your family within Hogwarts. You will have classes with the rest of your house, sleep in your house dormitory, and spend free time in your house common room.

"The four houses are called Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. Each house has its own noble history and each has produced outstanding witches and wizards. While you are at Hogwarts, your triumphs will earn your house points, while any rule breaking will lose house points. At the end of the year, the house with the most points is awarded the house cup, a great honour. I hope each of you will be a credit to whichever house becomes yours.

"The Sorting Ceremony will take place in a few minutes in front of the rest of the school. I suggest you all smarten yourselves up as much as you can while you are waiting."

Professor McGonagall's eyes swivelled between Neville's cloak, which was fastened under his left ear, and on Ron's smudged nose. Amara shifted her robe nervously.

"I shall return when we are ready for you," said Professor McGonagall. "Please wait quietly."

She left the chamber. Amara felt faint. What was the Sorting?

"How exactly do they sort us into houses?" Harry asked, leaning across Amara to address Ron.

"Some sort of test, I think. Fred said it hurts a lot, but I think he was joking."

"He better be," Amara whispered hoarsely.

Her stomach was doing nervous gallops. If Fred was telling the truth, the test would be in front of the whole school. She didn't know any magic – what was she to do? Try and pull a rabbit from a hat?

Amara looked around. Nobody was talking much, except for Hermione, who was whispering all the spells she would need that she'd learnt.

Amara tuned her out, she didn't want to hear the annoying Hermione at that moment.

She screamed, making Harry and Ron jump even higher than they had done.

"What the -?" Harry gasped.

Twenty ghosts – _ghosts – _had streamed through the wall behind them. They were pearly-white and slightly transparent they seemed to be arguing.

A fat little monk was speaking "Forgive and forget, I say, we ought to give him a second chance -."

Amara squeezed her eyes shut. She didn't want to see the ghosts anymore – they freaked her out.

"Move along now," a sharp voice cut through Amara's brain. "The Sorting Ceremony is about to start."

Professor McGonagall was back.

"Form a lone and follow me," she said.

Amara went behind Harry and Ron went after her, her legs were moving of her own accord as she walked into the Great Hall.

It was truly magical – it was lit by candles floating in mid-air over four very long tables. The rest of the students were sitting on them, the tables laid with golden plate and goblets, winking in the candle light. There was a top table for where the teachers sat. McGonagall made them line up facing the school with the teachers being them. All eyes were on them and the ghosts were shining misty silver in amongst the students.

She heard Hermione whisper behind her and looked up. "It's bewitched to look like the sky outside. I read about it in Hogwarts, A History."

Amara gazed in wonder at the velvety blackness with stars studded in it.

Professor McGonagall places a four-legged stool in front of the first-years. There was a pointed old wizard's hat that was patched, frayed and very dirty.

Amara wondered what they had to do with it before the hat twitched. A rip near the brim opened wide like a mouth. It began to sing.

"_Oh, you may not think I'm pretty, _

_But don't judge on what you see,_

_I'll eat myself if you can find_

_A smarter hat than me._

_You can keep your bowlers black, _

_Your top hats sleek and tall, _

_For I'm the Hogwarts Sorting Hat_

_And I can cap them all._

_There's nothing hidden in your head_

_The Sorting Hat can't see,_

_So try me on and I will tell you_

_Where you ought to be._

_You might belong in Gryffindor,_

_Where dwell the brave at heart,_

_Their daring, nerve, and chivalry_

_Set Gryffindors apart;_

_You might belong in Hufflepuff_

_Where they are just and loyal,_

_Those patient Hufflepuffs are true_

_And unafraid of toil;_

_Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw,_

_If you've a ready mind,_

_Where those of wit and learning,_

_Will always find their kind;_

_Or perhaps in Slytherin_

_You'll make your real friends,_

_Those cunning folk use any means_

_To achieve their ends._

_So put me on! Don't be afraid!_

_And don't get in a flap!_

_You're in safe hands (though I have none)_

_For I'm a Thinking Cap!" _

The whole school applauded hard after the song finished. It bowed to the tables before staying still.

Amara could have laughed in relief – they just had to put on a hat! She almost did laugh when Ron said "So we've just got to try on a hat! I'll kill Fred, he was going on about wresting a troll."

Amara saw Harry only smile weakly, she gave him a reassuring squeeze on the arm.

Professor McGonagall was unrolling a scroll of parchment.

"When I call your name, you will put on the hat and sit on the stool to be sorted," she said. "Abbott Hannah!"

Hannah walked up nervously to the stool and put on the hat. It fell below her eyes. There was a moments pause –

"HUFFLEPUFF!" shouted the hat.

The table on the right cheered as Amara smiled. The monk ghost – the Friar – waved at her.

"Bones, Susan!"

"HUFFLEPUFF!" the hat shouted again. Susan ran off to sit with Hannah.

"Boot, Terry!"

"Ravenclaw!"

Several Ravenclaws shook Terry's hand as he sat down. "Brocklehurst, Mandy" went to Ravenclaw too, however "Brown, Lavender" went to Gryffindor.

Then "Bulstrode Millicent" became a Slytherin. Amara didn't like the faces of them. They looked very unpleasant.

There were a few more until:

"Granger, Hermione!"

Hermione, being so eager, ran to the stool and jammed the hat on her head.

"GRYFFINDOR!" yelled the hat. Ron groaned.

Amara was nervous now – it was getting closer to the 'M's.

Neville got sorted into Gryffindor then a "MacDougal" and "MacMillan" then "Malfoy, Draco!".

Malfoy practically swaggered up to the stool and had barley put the hat on when it pronounced him "SLYTHERIN!" Only one more boy was called before Amara knew, with a churn, that -

"Matthews, Amara!"

Amara walked shakily to the hat. She caught sight of the eager faces before the hat fell over her eyes.

'Hmmm,' said a small voice, making Amara twitch 'Interesting… there's plenty of courage and determination – oh, good brains as well… loyal, hard-working. Now where shall you go? Not Slytherin for one… hmmm… not that one… better be –

"GRYFFINDOR!" the hat shouted to the hall.

Amara breathed a sigh of relief as she skipped over to the Gryffindor table. She sat next to a boy with sandy hair, called Seamus Finnigan.

After a few more people "Potter, Harry!" was called.

Whispers broke out across the hall like little hissing fires. Amara ignored them and craned her neck to see Harry.

He was on there for about three minutes before –

"GRYFFINDOR!"

Amara whooped with the rest as Harry flopped down next to her. A boy with curly red hair – probably Ron's brother – shook his hand and two red-haired twins where chanting.

It was now Ron's turn. He was pale green when the hat fell over his eyes – but he needn't have worried, he was made Gryffindor too.

"Brilliant Ron!" exclaimed Amara as he sat down opposite.

Amara, now the sorting was over, realised she was actually very hungry. Professor McGonagall had taken the stool away and another Professor stood up.

"Who's that?" whispered Amara.

"Professor Albus Dumbledore, our -." Harry began

"Headmaster!" Amara finished in realisation.

"Welcome!" he said, his arms opened wide and his face beaming. "Welcome to another year at Hogwarts! Before we begin our banquet, I would like to say a few words. And here they are: Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak!

"Thank you!"

He sat down and Amara clapped with the rest.

Amara looked down in front of her and gasped. The tables were now groaning with food. There was everything: roast beef, roast chicken, pork chops and lamb chops, sausages, bacon and steak, boiled potatoes, roast potatoes, fries, Yorkshire pudding, peas, carrots, gravy, ketchup, and, for some strange reason, peppermint humbugs.

She piled her plate high with everything, except the peppermint humbugs.

"That does look good," said the ghost in a ruff sadly, watching Harry cut up his steak,

"Can't you -?"

"I haven't eaten for nearly four hundred years," said the ghost. "I don't need to, of course, but one does miss it. I don't think I've in introduced myself? Sir Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington at your service. Resident ghost of Gryffindor Tower."

"I know who you are!" said Ron suddenly. "My brothers told me about you - you're Nearly Headless Nick!"

"I would _prefer_ you to call me Sir Nicholas de Mimsy –…" the ghost began stiffly, but sandy-haired Seamus Finnigan next to Amara interrupted.

"_Nearly_ Headless? How can you be _nearly_ headless?"

Sir Nicholas looked extremely miffed, as if their little chat wasn't going at all the way he wanted.

"Like _this_," he said irritably. He seized his left ear and pulled. His whole head swung off his neck and fell onto his shoulder as if it was on a hinge. Someone had obviously tried to behead him, but not done it properly. Looking pleased at the stunned looks on their faces, Nearly Headless Nick flipped his head back onto his neck, coughed, and said, "So - new Gryffindors! I hope you're going to help us win the house championship this year? Gryffindors have never gone so long without winning. Slytherins have got the cup six years in a row! The Bloody Baron's becoming almost unbearable - he's the Slytherin ghost."

Amara looked over at the Slytherin table and saw a horrible ghost sitting there, with blank staring eyes, a gaunt face, and robes stained with silver blood. He was right next to Malfoy who, Amara was happy to see, didn't look too pleased with the seating arrangements.

"How did he get covered in blood?" asked Seamus with great interest.

"I've never asked," said Nearly Headless Nick delicately. Amara never wanted to ask him either, the way his face was.

When everyone had eaten as much as they could, the remains of the food faded from the plates, leaving them sparkling clean as before. A moment later the desserts appeared. Blocks of ice cream in every flavour you could think of, apple pies, treacle tarts, chocolate éclairs and jam doughnuts, trifle, strawberries, jelly, rice pudding…

As Amara helped herself to some chocolate éclairs and strawberries, the conversation switched to their families.

"I'm half-and-half," said Seamus. "Me dad's a Muggle. Mam didn't tell him she was a witch 'til after they were married. Bit of a nasty shock for him."

The others laughed.

"What about you, Neville?" said Ron.

"Well, my gran brought me up and she's a witch," said Neville, "but the family thought I was all-Muggle for ages. My Great Uncle Algie kept trying to catch me off my guard and force some magic out of me - he pushed me off the end of Blackpool pier once, I nearly drowned - but nothing happened until I was eight. Great Uncle Algie came round for dinner, and he was hanging me out of an upstairs window by the ankles when my Great Auntie Enid offered him a meringue and he accidentally let go. But I bounced - all the way down the garden and into the road. They were all really pleased, Gran was crying, she was so happy. And you should have seen their faces when I got in here - they thought I might not be magic enough to come, you see. Great Uncle Algie was so pleased he bought me my toad."

"Both my parents were muggleborn," said Amara "Didn't know anything since about three weeks ago."

"Me neither," said a dark-skinned boy called Dean Thomas. "But I could be half-blood, I don't know if my dad was a wizard yet."

The conversation continued, but Amara started to feel warm and sleepy. The remains of the puddings went away and Professor Dumbledore got to his feet. The hall fell silent once more.

"Ahem – just a few more words now we are all fed and watered, I have a few start-of-term notices to give you.

"First-years should note that the forest in the grounds is forbidden to all pupils. And a few of our older students would do well to remember that as well."

Dumbledore's eyes flashed in the direction of the twins, who Amara assumed, were 'Fred and George'.

"I have also been asked by Mr Filch, the caretaker, to remind you all that no magic should be used between classes in the corridors.

"Quidditch trials will be held in the second week of the term. Anyone interested in playing for their house teams should contact Madam Hooch.

"And finally, I must tell you that this year, the third-floor corridor on the right-hand side is out of bounds to everyone who does not wish to die a very painful death."

Amara stared, Harry laughed unsurely next to her.

"And now, before we go to bed, let us sing the school song!" cried Dumbledore. Harry noticed that the other teachers' smiles had become rather fixed.

Dumbledore gave his wand a little flick, as if he was trying to get a fly off the end, and a long golden ribbon flew out of it, which raised high above the tables and twisted itself, snakelike, into words.

"Everyone pick their favourite tune," said Dumbledore, "and off we go!" And the school bellowed:

_"Hogwarts, Hogwarts, Hoggy Warty Hogwarts,_

_Teach us something please,_

_Whether we be old and bald_

_Or young with scabby knees,_

_Our heads could do with filling_

_With some interesting stuff,_

_For now they're bare and full of air, _

_Dead flies and bits of fluff,_

_So teach us things worth knowing,_

_Bring back what we've forgot,_

_Just do your best, we'll do the rest,_

_And learn until our brains all rot."_

Everybody finished the song at different times. At last, only the Weasley twins were left singing along to a very slow funeral march. Dumbledore conducted their last few lines with his wand and when they had finished, he was one of those who clapped loudest.

"Ah, music," he said, wiping his eyes. "A magic beyond all we do here! And now, bedtime. Off you trot!"

The Gryffindor first years followed Percy through the chattering crowds, out of the Great Hall, and up the marble staircase. Amara's legs were like lead, because she was so tired and full of food. She was too sleepy even to be surprised that the people in the portraits along the corridors moved, whispered and pointed as they passed, or that twice Percy led them through doorways hidden behind sliding panels and hanging tapestries. They climbed more staircases, yawning and dragging their feet, and Amara was just wondering how much farther they had to go when they came to a sudden halt.

A bundle of walking sticks was floating in mid-air ahead of them, and as Percy took a step toward them they started throwing themselves at him.

"Peeves," Percy whispered to the first years. "A poltergeist." He raised his voice,

"Peeves - show yourself"

A loud, rude sound, like the air being let out of a balloon, answered.

"Do you want me to go to the Bloody Baron?"

There was a pop, and a little man with wicked, dark eyes and a wide mouth appeared, floating cross-legged in the air, clutching the walking sticks.

"Oooooooh!" he said, with an evil cackle. "Ickle Firsties! What fun!"

He swooped suddenly at them. They all ducked.

"Go away, Peeves, or the Baron'll hear about this, I mean it!" barked Percy.

Peeves stuck out his tongue and vanished, dropping the walking sticks on Neville's head. They heard him zooming away, rattling coats of armour as he passed.

"You want to watch out for Peeves," said Percy, as they set off again. "The Bloody Baron's the only one who can control him, he won't even listen to us Prefects. Here we are."

At the very end of the corridor there was a portrait hung on the wall. It contained a very fat woman in a pink silk dress.

"_Caput Draconis," _said Percy, and the portrait swung forwards to reveal a hole in the wall. They scrambled through it and into the Gryffindor common room. Amara liked it – it was a cosy, round room with squashy armchairs and a roaring fire.

After being directed by Percy, Amara and the other girls wound their way up the staircase (Amara had told Ron and Harry to wait for her the next morning) and found the door with 'First-years' on it. The room was round and cosy too. Five poster beds were on the walls with their trunks by them.

Amara was so tired, she barely got into her pyjamas and said 'goodnight' before she was asleep.

She woke up in the night though, for the moon was shining through the window. Blinking, she wondered where she was, and, with a pang, realised her parents were miles away in their own beds and that she wouldn't see them until Christmas.

With a sigh, she rolled over, and went back into another deep sleep.


	4. The Potions Master

**_Disclaimer: All rights to JKR_**

**_Chapter Four_**

**_The Potions Master_**

"There, look."

"Where?"

"In the middle of the tall kid with red hair -"

"- and the short girl with brown hair."

"Oh, wearing glasses?"

"Did you see his face?"

"Did you see his scar?"

Amara, once finding Harry and Ron in the common room the next morning, got increasingly irritated by the whispers and points Harry received the whole day. She knew he didn't like it, it was obvious – especially when they were trying to find their classrooms in the ever-changing castle.

They had got lost four times on the way to the Great Hall for breakfast. There were so many staircases, wide and sweeping ones, narrow and rickety ones; ones that led to different places when they felt like it, one with a vanishing step that Amara always forgot to jump. There were doors too that didn't open unless tickled in the right spot or they weren't actually ones at all, just pretending. Sometimes they moved too, so that the places they had been were wall behind the door. The portraits and suits of armour didn't help – they kept moving about and the people in the paintings kept visiting each other. Amara tried to stay well clear of the ghosts – except Nick, who was good at directing them to classes – and ran when she heard Peeves coming. He would drop everything on your head, trip you up and sneak up on you.

Argus Filch, the caretaker, was even worse. Amara, Harry and Ron got on the wrong side of him the very first day. They were accidently trying to get through a locked door that turned out to be the forbidden one on the third floor corridor. He wouldn't believe that they didn't know where they were, let alone knowing it was the forbidden one, but they were rescued by Professor Quirrell, their Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher, who stuttered and wore a turban.

Mrs Norris, Filch's cat, was just as bad. A scrawny, dust-coloured pest, with popping lamp-like eyes like her owner's. Any rule broken in front of her (which she weirdly knew) and in a matter of seconds, Filch would come running. He knew the castle's secret passage ways better than anyone (except the Weasley Twins, as Amara found out, as they were pranksters)

Amara never thought classes could be so interesting. You didn't just have to wave you wand and spout nonsense – there was a lot more to it than that.

Every Wednesday night, they studied the night skies with their telescopes for Astronomy and plot the stars and planet movements. This always made Amara tired the next day, after an hour at midnight of watching stars. Three times a week they went out to the greenhouses in the grounds. Professor Sprout taught them Herbology – a subject that Amara liked, for it was about magical plants and they found out what different things did.

History of Magic, taught by the ghost, Professor Binns, was so dull, it sent Amara to sleep. This was the only lesson she didn't like – learning about Goblin Rebellions and dates. Amara would've enjoyed it, if it weren't for the fact that Binns droned on for hours in the same, monotone voice.

Charms was one of Amara's favourite subjects, Professor Flitwick, the tiny, sweet wizard who had to stand on a pile of books to reach his desk, was lovely. Amara loved the charms he explained and couldn't wait to practice them. She had laughed the first lesson, when he called Harry's name, for he gave an excited squeak and toppled off his books. Another favourite was Transfiguration, taught by Professor McGonagall.

She gave them a stern and firm talk the moment the entered her classroom.

"Transfiguration is some of the most complex and dangerous magic you will learn at Hogwarts," she said. "Anyone messing around in my class will leave and not come back. You have been warned."

Then, to everyone's amazement, she turned her desk into a pig and back again. Amara had been excited to get started, but was disappointed when she said they wouldn't be doing that for a long time. They began the lesson by taking lots of notes and then were given a match to turn into a needle. Besides Hermione, Amara was the only other one to make a change to her match, which turned silver and pointy. She awarded Amara her first ever house points and smiled a rare smile. Ron and Harry warned her not to become like Hermione, who was intent on being top at every lesson, and, irritatingly, she was.

Amara had been looking forwards to Defence Against the Dark Arts, she was interested at Defending herself. But Professor Quirrell's lessons were a bit of a joke. The room smelled very strongly of garlic, which made Amara gag, and apparently it was to ward off vampires. The turban was also apparently a thank-you gift from an African village he helped save from an annoying zombie, but none of them believed it, for when Seamus (who liked interesting stories) asked how he got rid of it, Professor Quirrell immediately changed the subject.

Amara, along with Harry, found out that they weren't miles behind everyone, and that even Ron, who was from a magical family, didn't know much either.

Amara hung around with Harry and Ron in lessons and in the common room, as the girls in her dorm weren't right for her. Firstly, Hermione Granger, was very annoying in Amara's point of view. Whenever she was in the dormitory, she would constantly nag her in everything about work – like studying and homework. Also she was a know-it-all who didn't know when to stop spouting information to everyone and making herself the best in everything. Personally, Amara thought that she should let other people have the chance to shine, instead of just moving the spotlight onto her.

The three other girls weren't the best either. She liked Sophie Roper the best, but she was very quiet and shy and hung around with the Hufflepuffs and her sister in the year above. Lavender Brown and Parvati Patil were nice too, but there was a limited amount of words to say to them before she had nothing else to say. They were more interested in getting Amara to brush her hair more as "It would shine more!" as Lavender put it.

Amara found that she was getting good friends with Dean Thomas too, they had a lot of the same interests and talked for a while about muggle life. Seamus Finnigan was nice too – he cracked jokes about his time back home in Ireland.

Friday started a good day for Amara, Harry and Ron. They managed (amazingly) to get to the Great Hall for breakfast without getting lost once.

"What have we got today?" asked Harry as Amara spooned some honey onto her porridge.

"Double Potions with the Slytherins," said Ron. "Snape's Head of Slytherin, they say he favours them – we'll be able to see if that's true."

"Wish McGonagall favoured us," said Harry as Amara sighed wistfully.

Professor McGonagall was head of their house and Amara was slightly peeved when she set a whole load of homework the day before.

The mail arrived then, hundreds of owls swooping across the ceiling, dropping their parcels and letters onto their laps. Amara had nearly screamed the first morning –much to the amusement of Ron, Fred and George, who were sitting close by.

Amara looked up hopefully, she had sent a letter to her family a couple of days ago by a school owl, and was hoping for a reply.

A brown tawny owl swooped over the table and gave Amara a letter before flying off again.

She opened it eagerly and scanned the contents.

_Dear Amara,_

_Thank you for your letter, it was great to hear from you! It's so nice to hear you're doing well already – it sounds rather hard! We did get a shock yesterday when an owl was pecking at our window! We didn't know what to do until Tessie, who got very excited, saw a letter tied to its leg. She said it must be from you – and she was right! We're all missing you loads of course – Ethan too, even if he tries not to admit it. Tessie hasn't got used to the fact you're gone, but School is keeping her occupied, luckily,_

_Hope to speak soon!_

_Love from_

_Mum & Dad_

_xxx_

Amara smiled at the letter before shoving it in her satchel. Looking up, she saw that Harry had gotten a letter too – from Hagrid.

"He wants me to have tea with him," Harry informed her, after he had borrowed Ron's quill to write a reply.

Potions turned out worse than expected. Amara, who was looking forwards to it, was disappointed at how Snape taught the lesson.

Firstly, they had the lessons in the dungeons, which was very cold and drafty. The only heat was from their fires under their cauldrons. There were also pickled animals lined up on the walls in jars, which looked very creepy.

Amara found out from Harry that he thought Snape didn't like him and it was true – he _hated _him.

Snape started with the register, and paused at Harry's name.

"Ah, yes," he said softly "Harry Potter. Our new – _celebrity."_

Draco Malfoy and his cronies laughed nastily. Snape didn't bat an eyelid, in fact, this made him look creepier.

"You are here to learn the subtle science and exact art of potion making," he began after the register. He spoke very quietly, but Amara was able to catch every word said, like Professor McGonagall did. He was able to keep the class silent without effort. "As there is little foolish wand-waving here many of you will hardly believe this is magic. I don't expect you will really understand the beauty of the softly simmering cauldron with its shimmering fumes, the delicate power of liquids that creep through human veins, bewitching the mind, ensnaring the senses…. I can teach you how to bottle fame, brew glory and even stopped death – if you aren't as big a bunch of dunderheads as I usually have to teach."

More silence followed these words. Amara shared a look with Dean and rolled her eyes when she saw Hermione sitting on the edge of her seat, with a look that she wasn't a dunderhead.

"Potter!" Snape said suddenly "What would I get if I added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?"

Amara frowned, she had read the textbook on Potions now what the answer was…. Hermione had already put up her had when Amara tentatively raised hers too.

"I don't know sir," said a baffled Harry.

Snape's lip curled.

"Tut, tut – fame clearly isn't everything."

Amara had a boil of anger bubbling in her, Harry didn't _know _he was famous since a month ago!

He ignored Hermione's hand. Amara had already put hers down.

"Let's try again. Potter, where would you look if I told you to find me a bezoar?"

Hermione stretched her hand as high into the air as it would go without her leaving her seat, Amara had a thought in her head, but couldn't be bothered to think of it. She tried not to look at Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle, who were shaking with laughter.

"I don't know, sir."

"Thought you wouldn't open a book before coming, eh, Potter?"

Harry forced himself to keep looking straight into those cold eyes. He had looked through his books at the Dursleys', but did Snape expect him to remember everything in One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi?

Snape was still ignoring Hermione's quivering hand.

"What is the difference, Potter, between monkshood and wolfsbane?"

At this, Hermione stood up, her hand stretching toward the dungeon ceiling.

"I don't know," said Harry quietly. "I think Hermione does, though, why don't you try her?"

Amara and a few others laughed. Snape, though, was not pleased at all.

"Sit down," he snapped at Hermione. "For your information, Potter, asphodel and wormwood make a sleeping potion so powerful it is known as the Draught of Living Death. A bezoar is a stone taken from the stomach of a goat and it will save you from most poisons. As for monkshood and wolfsbane, they are the same plant, which also goes by the name of aconite. Well? Why aren't you all copying that down?"

There was a sudden rummaging for quills and parchment. Over the noise, Snape said, "And a point will be taken from Gryffindor House for your cheek, Potter."

Things didn't improve for the Gryffindors as the Potions lesson continued. Snape put them all into pairs and set them to mixing up a simple potion to cure boils. He swept around in his long black cloak, watching them weigh dried nettles and crush snake fangs, criticizing almost everyone except Malfoy, whom he seemed to like. He was just telling everyone to look at the perfect way Malfoy had stewed his horned slugs when clouds of acid green smoke and a loud hissing filled the dungeon. Neville had somehow managed to melt Seamus's cauldron into a twisted blob, and their potion was seeping across the stone floor, burning holes in people's shoes. Within seconds, the whole class was standing on their stools while Neville, who had been drenched in the potion when the cauldron collapsed, moaned in pain as angry red boils sprang up all over his arms and legs.

"Idiot boy!" snarled Snape, clearing the spilled potion away with one wave of his wand. "I suppose you added the porcupine quills before taking the cauldron off the fire?"

Neville whimpered as boils started to pop up all over his nose.

"Take him up to the hospital wing," Snape spat at Seamus. Then he rounded on Harry and Ron, who had been working next to Neville.

"You - Potter - why didn't you tell him not to add the quills? Thought he'd make you look good if he got it wrong, did you? That's another point you've lost for Gryffindor."

Amara thought this was too unfair – Harry had been preoccupied with his own potion!

"Don't push it," Amara heard Ron muttered, "I've heard Snape can turn very nasty."

As they climbed the steps out of the dungeon an hour later, Amara wondered why Snape hated Harry so much when he hadn't done anything.

"Don't worry Harry," Amara said as they walked to lunch, seeing Harry's expression.

"Cheer up," said Ron, "Snape's always taking points off Fred and George. Can me and Amara come and meet Hagrid with you?"

At five to three that afternoon they left the castle and went into the grounds to Hagrid's house. Hagrid lived in a small wooden house on the edge of the Forbidden Forest. As they came nearer, they saw a crossbow and a pair of galoshes outside the front door.

Harry knocked on the door. Behind it there came a frantic scrabbling and a few booming barks. Hagrid's voice cut through them: "_Back _Fang – _back._"

The door opened a crack and Hagrid's face peered through as the door opened wider.

"Hang on," he said "_Back _Fang."

He was talking to the enormous boarhound that he was holding onto by the collar. They stepped inside the one-roomed hut. Hams and pheasants hung from the ceiling, a copper kettle was boiling on the fire and there was a massive bed in one corner with a patchwork quilt. Amara thought it was very cosy.

They sat down at the table while Hagrid poured boiling water in the teapot. He had released Fang, who was actually rather sweet, as he was now licking Ron's ears.

"This is Ron," Harry said "And Amara."

"Another Weasley, eh?" said Hagrid, after greeting Amara "I spent half me life chasin' yer twin brothers away from the Forest."

Amara wished she hadn't eaten her rock cake, which nearly broke her teeth, but pretended to like it as they told Hagrid about their lessons. Amara stroked Fang on the head as they talked and he drooled all over her robes.

Amara, Harry and Ron were delighted to hear Hagrid call Fitch 'that old git.'

"An' as fer that cat, Mrs Norris, I'd like ter introduce her to Fang sometime. D'yeh know, every time I go up ter the school, she follows me everywhere? Can't get rid of her - Fitch puts her up to it."

Harry told Hagrid about Snape's lesson. Hagrid, like Ron and Amara, told Harry not to worry about it, that Snape liked hardly any of the students.

"But he seemed to really hate me."

"Rubbish!" said Hagrid. "Why should he?"

Amara saw Harry looking at Hagrid oddly.

"How's yer brother Charlie?" Hagrid asked Ron. "I liked him a lot - great with animals."

Amara wondered if Hagrid had changed the subject on purpose. He didn't seem to give Harry any proper explanation. While Ron told Hagrid all about Charlie's work with dragons, Amara saw Harry pick up a piece of paper that was lying on the table under the tea cosy. She leaned over to read it too. It was a cutting from the Daily Prophet:

_GRINGOTTS BREAK-IN LATEST_

_Investigations continue into the break-in at Gringotts on 31 July, widely believed to be the work of Dark wizards or witches unknown._

_Gringotts' goblins today insisted that nothing had been taken. The vault that was searched had in fact been emptied the same day._

_"But we're not telling you what was in there, so keep your noses out if you know what's good for you," said a Gringotts spokesgoblin this afternoon._

Amara remembered that Ron had told them about it on the train ride, but she hadn't paid it much notice.

"Hagrid!" said Harry, "that Gringotts break-in happened on my birthday! It might've been happening while we were there!"

Amara looked at the news cutting again and saw Hagrid look away from Harry. He grunted and offered another rock cake. Harry frowned at the cutting – Amara wanted to ask him about it later.

They walked up to the castle a while later, their pockets filled with the lumpy rock cakes that they had been too polite to refuse. Amara saw that Harry looked very preoccupied as they walked back, so she talked to Ron instead.


	5. The Midnight Duel

**_A/N HAPPY NEW YEAR! Not too hungover, people? Hmm... anyway, chapter five!_**

**_Chapter Five_**

**_The Midnight Duel_**

Amara liked her first few weeks at Hogwarts – everything was fitting into place, she had gotten used to the ghosts, the portraits and the rivalry between the houses. She still hung around with Harry and Ron, who liked her as much as she liked them. They were defiantly better than her other friends, who hadn't written to her once, eventhough she sent letters home for her mum to give to them. The one thing she didn't like was a certain blonde-haired Slytherin called Draco Malfoy. They didn't have to put up with him much – until they found out they had flying lessons with the Slytherins starting on Thursday.

"Typical," said Harry darkly, when they saw the notice. "Just what I wanted. To make a fool of myself on a broomstick in front of Malfoy."

Amara was very nervous about flying, but excited as well. She was annoyed they were sharing with the Slytherins – she didn't want to be tormented when she was nervous about doing something.

"You don't know you'll make a fool of yourself," said Ron reasonably. "Anyway, I know Malfoy's always going on about how good he is at Quidditch, but I bet that's all talk."

Amara had noticed that Malfoy talked about flying a lot. So, in fact, did the other boys in Gryffindor, apart from Neville, who hadn't been allowed on a broomstick his whole life. Amara thought this was very good for him – he had enough accidents on the ground, who knew what he would do in the air. Seamus Finnigan talked about his adventures in the countryside – even Ron, who, Amara heard, had had an argument with Dean about football, told everyone the story of when he nearly hit a hang glider.

Hermione Granger was just as nervous as Neville was, even more so, as she couldn't learn it from a book. She bored them all stupid on Thursday morning at breakfast by reading out tips from a library book called _Quidditch through the Ages. _She only stopped when Amara snatched it from her and threatened to drop it in the milk jug. Everyone thanked her afterwards, when Hermione had looked reproachful at her snapping but stopped talking about facts.

Amara looked up when the mail arrived instinctively, wondering if any mail was coming her way. It was – the brown barn owl she had sent a letter with to her family came swooping up to her. It dropped a package in her lap. She opened it to find a package of her favourite muggle sweets from her mum.

"What are _they?" _Ron asked, picking one up, which happened to be a fizzy strawberry lace.

"Muggle sweets," Amara said "Eat it."

Ron chewed the end and his eyes widened at the fizziness.

"Awesome!" he said "What else do muggles make?"

Amara laughed but was distracted by Neville, who had received an odd package. It was a glass ball the size of a large marble and it was filled with white smoke.

"It's a Remembrall!" he explained. "Gran knows I forget things – this tells you if there's something you've forgotten to do. Look, you hold it tight like this and if it turns red – oh…" His face fell, because the Remembrall suddenly turned scarlet, "… you've forgotten something…"

Neville was trying to remember what he had forgotten with Amara trying to help when Draco Malfoy, as he passed by the Gryffindor table, snatched it out of his hand.

Harry and Ron jumped to their feet whilst Amara tried to grab it. Professor McGonagall, being like a hawk, was there in a flash.

"What's going on?"

"Malfoy's got Neville's Remembrall, Professor." Amara said.

Malfoy scowled, but put the Remembrall back on the table.

"Just looking," he said, before sloping away with Crabbe and Goyle trailing behind him like sheep.

-OOOOOOO-

At three thirty that afternoon, Amara, Harry, Ron and the rest of the Gryffindors hurried down the front steps into the grounds for their first flying lesson. It was a clear, breezy day and the grass rippled under their feet as they marched down the sloping lawns towards a smooth lawn on the opposite side of the grounds to the Forbidden Forest, whose trees were swaying darkly in the distance.

The Slytherins, much to Amara's disgust, were already there, and so were twenty broomsticks lying in neat lines on the ground. Amara had heard that the school brooms were awful - they would vibrate if you went too high and always flew slightly left.

A witch with short, grey hair and yellow eyes arrived, and she introduced herself as Madam Hooch.

"Well, what are you waiting for?" She barked, making Amara jump. "Everyone stand by a broomstick. Come on, hurry up."

Amara looked down at her broomstick doubtfully. It was very old and some of the twigs were missing.

"Stick your right hand over your broom," called Madam Hooch from the front, "and say, UP!"

"UP!" everyone shouted.

Amara's broom twitched slightly off the ground, but then flopped in heartily back down again. She said it again, with more force, and, like Harry's had done, it jumped into her hand.

Madam Hooch showed them how to mount the brooms without sliding off and corrected their grips. Amara exchanged smirks with Ron and Harry when she told Malfoy he had been doing it wrong for years.

"Now, when I blow my whistle, you kick off from the ground, hard," said Madam Hooch. "Keep your broomsticks steady, rise a few feet and then come straight back down by leaning forwards slightly. On my whistle - three - two -"

Bu Neville, as he was very nervous and jumpy, pushed off before she had blown the whistle.

"Come back, boy!" She shouted at him, but Neville was raising faster that a cork shooting out of a bottle. He was at least twenty feet in the air, his white face looked widely at the ground, he gasped, fell sideways and -

WHAM - there was a thud and a nasty crack, Amara flinched at the sound and looked at Neville, who was lying face down in a heap. The broomstick flew lazily to the Forbidden Forest.

Madam Hooch was bending over Neville, her face paper white.

"Broken wrist," she said "Come on boy - it's alright, up you get."

She turned to them.

"None of you is to move while I take this boy to the Hospital Wing! You leave those brooms where they are or you'll be out of Hogwarts before you can say 'Quidditch'. Come on dear."

Amara looked sadly at Neville as he hobbled away, his face wet with tears, Madam Hooch having her arm around him.

As soon as they were out of earshot, Malfoy burst out laughing.

"Did you see his face, the great lump?"

The other Slytherins laughed too.

"Shut up, Malfoy." snapped Parvati.

"Yeah, watch your mouth!" said Amara angrily

"Ooh, sticking up for Longbottom?" said Pansy Parkinson, a Slytherin with a face like a pug. "Never thought _you'd_ like fat little cry-babies, Parvati - and you Amara."

"Look!" Malfoy said, darting forwards and snatching something out of the grass. "It's that stupid thing Longbottom's gran sent him."

The Remembrall glinted in the sunlight.

"Give that here, Malfoy." Harry said quietly. Everyone stopped to watch.

Malfoy smiled nastily.

"I think I'll leave it somewhere for Longbottom to collect - how about - up a tree?"

"Give it _here_!" yelled Harry, but Malfoy was already on his broomstick. Amara hated to admit it, but Malfoy could fly well. He was hovering near a large oak.

"Come and get it Potter!"

Harry grabbed his broom.

"_No!_" Hermione Granger shouted, Amara groaned. "Madam Hooch told us not to move - you'll get us all into trouble."

Harry ignored her and Amara pushed her away. Harry kicked off hard and whooshed into the air. It was amazing - Harry could fly!

He went higher and several girls gasped. Amara and Ron whooped in awe.

It was hard to tell what was going on from the ground - but suddenly, Harry shot forwards at Malfoy, who moved just in time. Malfoy threw the ball in the air and Harry shot after it.

He went into a very steep dive, Amara screamed at this, and a foot above the ground he caught it. He pulled up and toppled onto the ground gently. Amara was just about to clap when -

"HARRY POTTER!"

Amara's heart sank as Professor McGonagall ran towards them.

"_Never_ - in all my time at Hogwarts-"

She was speechless with shock and looked very angry.

"- How _dare_ you - might've broken your neck-"

"It wasn't his fault, Professor -"

"Be quiet, Miss Patil -"

"Professor it was -"

"No Miss Matthews!"

"But Malfoy-"

"That's _enough_ Mr Weasley. Potter, follow me, now."

Malfoy and his cronies looked triumphant as Harry walked numbly away from them.

Amara and Ron exchanged worried looks, but didn't have time to dwell on it, for Madam Hooch came back not two minutes later.

"Right," she barked "Everyone back on your brooms and up in the air - I say, whose broom is this?"

She was pointing at Harry's abandoned broom on the grass.

"It's Harry's," said Amara, when nobody said anything "Professor McGonagall... she needed to speak to him."

Madam Hooch nodded.

Soon Amara was in the air, on a broomstick, for the first time in her life. She loved the feel of it, she was flying! The wind whistled in her hair and ears as she raced Ron around the pitch.

Madam Hooch taught them how to go higher and land nicely without falling off. All too soon, in Amara's opinion, the lesson came to an end and they trotted off to the Great Hall for dinner, the thought of Harry weighing heavily in their minds.

-OOOOOOO-

"You're_ joking_."

It was dinner time. Harry had just finished telling Ron and Amara about what had happened with Professor McGonagall.

"That's unbelievable!" Amara said "and you didn't get into trouble? At all?"

Harry shook his head. Amara stared at him in awe.

"_Seeker?" _Ron said in amazement, his piece of steak-and-kidney pie forgotten. "But first-years _never _– you must be the youngest house player in about –"

"- a century," said Harry, shovelling pie into his mouth. "Wood told me."

Amara and Ron were so amazed they sat and gaped at him. They had forgotten about their food, which was slowly getting cold.

"I start training next week," said Harry. "Only don't tell anyone, Wood wants to keep it a secret."

Fred and George Weasley hurried over to Harry.

"Well done, Harry!" said George in a low voice. "Wood told. WE'RE on the team too – Beaters."

"I tell you, we're going to win that Quidditch Cup for sure this year," said Fred. "We haven't one since Charlie left, but this year's team is going to be brilliant. You must be good Harry; Wood was almost skipping when he told us."

Amara snorted.

"Anyway, we've got to go; Lee Jordan reckons he's found a new secret passageway out of the school."

"Bet it's the one behind the statue of Gregory the Smarmy that we found in our first week. See you."

They left, and were replaced with someone less welcome. Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle.

"Having a last meal, Potter? When are you getting the train back to the Muggles"

"You're a lot braver now you're back on the ground and you've got your little friends with you," said Harry coolly. There was nothing little about Crabbe or Goyle, but they couldn't do anything with the High Table full of teachers.

"I'd take you on any time on my own," said Malfoy. "Tonight, if you want. Wizard's duel. Wands only – no contact. What's the matter? Never heard of a wizard's duel before, I suppose?"

"Of course he had," said Ron, wheeling round. "I'm his second, Amara's his third. Who's yours?"

Malfoy looked at Crabbe and Goyle, sizing them up.

"Crabbe, then Goyle." He said. "Midnight all right? We'll meet you in the trophy room, that's always unlocked."

When Malfoy was gone, Amara looked at Ron.

"What the hell is a Wizard's duel?" she hissed "And I'm his third?"

"They're there if the first and second dies." Ron said casually, eating his now cold pie. Amara raised her eyebrows. "But that only happens in real ones, with real wizards. The most Harry and Malfoy will do is send sparks at each other."

"I bet he wanted you to refuse." Amara said, pushing her plate of cold food away.

"But what if I wave my wand and nothing happens?"

"Throw it away and punch him on the nose." Ron suggested.

"Kick him where it hurts." Amara advised.

"Excuse me."

They looked up. It was Hermione Granger.

"Can't a person eat in peace in this place?" said Ron.

Hermione ignored him and spoke to Harry.

"I couldn't help overhearing what you and Malfoy were saying -"

"Bet you could," muttered Amara and Ron.

"- and you _mustn't _go wandering around the school at night, think of all the points you'll lose for Gryffindor if you're caught, and you're bound to be. It's really very selfish of you."

"And it's really none of your business," said Harry.

"Keep your nose _out." _Amara said.

"Goodbye," said Ron.

-OOOOOOO-

Amara lay awake that night, listening to the sounds of the other girls sleeping. Hermione had ignored Amara when she came up to bed, but Amara didn't mind, you wanted to get some sleep before leaving She set her alarm to wake her at half past eleven.

When it came around, she crept silently out of bed and pulled on her blue dressing-gown. She got her wand, and she peered at Hermione's bed. She seemed to be sleeping as a lumpy form was under the duvet.

She met Harry and Ron in the common room. They had just reached the portrait hole when a voice spoke from the chair nearest them: "I can't believe you're going to do this Harry."

It was Hermione, wearing a pink dressing-gown and a frown.

"_You!" _hissed Amara. "I thought you were sleeping!"

"I almost told your brother Ron, Percy – he's a _prefect. _He'd put a stop to this."

Amara gazed at her; she couldn't believe she was so nosy and interfering. She thought she was right all the time! She had never known a person who stuck by the rules so tightly as Hermione.

"Come on," Harry said to Amara and Ron. He pushed the portrait of the Fat lady and climbed through, Amara and Ron following.

Hermione followed too, hissing like an angry goose.

"Don't you _care _about Gryffindor, do you _only _care about yourselves, _I _don't want Slytherin to win the House Cup and you'll lose all the points I got from Professor McGonagall for knowing about Switching Spells."

"Go away."

"Alright, but I warned you, you remember what I said when you're on the train home tomorrow, you're so -"

They never found out what they were, for Hermione had turned and found she was staring at an empty painting. The Fat Lady had gone off somewhere and Hermione was locked out.

"Now what am I going to do?" she asked shrilly.

"Whatever you do, shut up." Amara snapped.

"Yeah, that's your problem," said Ron. "We're going to be late."

They hadn't got to the end of the corridor when Hermione caught up with them.

"I'm coming with you," she said.

"You are _not." _

"D'you think I'm going to stand out here and wait for Filch to catch me? If he finds all four of us I'll tell him the truth: that I was trying to stop you and you can back my up."

"You've got some nerve –" Ron said loudly, at the same time Amara said "No we won't, he won't believe -"

"Shut up, all of you!" said Harry sharply. "I heard something."

It was a snuffling noise.

"Mrs Norris?" breathed Ron.

It was Neville. He was fast asleep on the floor but jerked awake as they crept nearer.

"Thank goodness you've found me! I've been out here for hours. I couldn't remember the password to get back to bed."

"Keep your voice down Neville. The password's 'Pig Snout' but I won't help you now; the Fat Lady's gone off somewhere."

"Is your arm okay?" asked Amara.

"Fine," said Neville, showing them. "Madam Pomfrey mended it in about a minute."

"Good – well, look Neville, we've got to be somewhere, we'll see you later."

"Don't leave me!" Neville scrambled up. "I don't want to stay here alone; the Bloody Baron's been past twice already."

Ron looked at his watch and glared angrily at Hermione and Neville.

"If either of you get us caught, I'll never rest until I've learnt that Curse of Bogies Quirrell told us about and used it on you."

Amara looked down the hallway and beckoned the others forwards.

They slipped through corridors that had strips of moonlight from the windows. Amara was nervous at every turn, hoping that Mrs Norris and Filch didn't pop up. But today they were lucky, the saw nobody when they reached the Trophy Room.

Malfoy wasn't there yet.

They tiptoed through the shining trophies and shields glittered and winked at them in the moonlight. The minutes crept by as they watched each door. A trickle of doubt leaked into Amara's brain.

"He's late, maybe he's chickened out," Ron whispered.

A noise in the next room made them all jump. Harry raised his wand as Amara opened her mouth to speak – but another voice came first, and it wasn't Malfoy.

"Sniff around, my sweet, they might be lurking in a corner."

It was Filch and Mrs Norris. Horror filled Amara's body as Harry waved madly at them to hurry as quickly as possible; they scurried as quiet as mice towards the opposite end of Filch's voice.

"They're in here somewhere," he muttered as he entered the Trophy Room. "Probably hiding."

Amara followed the others, petrified, through a long gallery full of suits of armour. Filch was getting closer by the second. Suddenly, Neville let out a squeak and broke into a run, he tripped and grabbed Ron around the waist – and the both of them went crashing into a suit of armour.

Amara was sure the noise would wake the castle – but didn't dwell on it as Harry yelled "RUN!" and they all sprinted down the gallery – not bothering to check on Filch. They swung around the doorpost and dashed down another corridor and another. Amara was panting as they blindly ripped through a tapestry that was a hidden passageway – they raced through it and ended up near their Charms classroom.

"I think we've lost him," Harry panted, leaning against the wall. Amara was breathing heavily, bending to get rid of a stitch in her side.

"I – _told _– you," gasped Hermione, clutching her chest. "I – told – you."

"We've got to go back to Gryffindor Tower," said Ron "and quickly."

"That sneaky old _snake," _Amara seethed, still recovering. "He tricked you! He isn't man enough to fight you at all – he wanted you in trouble! Ha!"

Harry nodded. "Let's go."

They hadn't walked a few steps when out whizzed Peeves from an abandoned classroom.

He squealed when he saw them.

"Shut up Peeves!" Amara said "Please!"

Peeves just cackled.

"Wandering around at midnight, Ickle Firsties? Tut, tut, tut. Naughty, naughty, you'll get caughty."

"Not if you don't give us away Peeves, please."

"Should tell Filch, I should," said Peeves, his eyes glinting. "It's for your own good you know."

"Get out of the way," snapped Ron, taking a swipe.

Big mistake.

"STUDENTS OUT OF BED!" Peeves bellowed "STUDENTS OUT OF BED DOWN THE CHARMS CORRIDOR!"

Ducking under Peeves and his voice, the five of them ran for their lives to the end of the corridor. They slammed into the door at the end – it was locked.

"Just our luck!" Amara groaned as they pushed against it. "Filch will catch us now!"

Filch was indeed running fast towards Peeves' shouts.

"Oh, move over," Hermione snarled. She grabbed Harry's wand and tapped the lock. "_Alohomora!" _

The door swung open and they all piled through.

Whilst the others pressed their ears against the door to listen, Amara turned around to see which kind of room they were in.

Except, it wasn't a room.

It was the forbidden corridor on the third floor. Now, Amara knew, why it was forbidden, for standing on gigantic paws was a monstrous dog. It wasn't just any dog either – it had three heads. They brushed the ceiling it was so big, its six eyes rolling madly and their three massive noses twitching and sniffing them out. The three mouths had saliva dripping out of them like slimy ropes hanging from its yellow fangs.

Amara gulped. It was standing very still, for it had been taken by surprise. But Amara knew it would only take seconds for it to get over its shock.

"_What?"_

Amara heard Harry snap at Neville from behind her, but he fell silent when he saw the dog. Amara was completely frozen in shock, and didn't move until Hermione screamed and they ran back out of the door.

They practically flew through the corridors and up to the Fat Lady's portrait. They didn't care about Filch anymore – Amara wanted to get far away from the dog as possible. She knew if they had stayed it would have killed them all – probably in one swipe of its huge paws.

"Where on earth have you been?" the Fat Lady demanded as they stood, frozen in their dressing-gowns.

"Pig snout!" Amara gasped and they stumbled into the common room, collapsing in armchairs in front of the dying fire.

There was a silence for a while – Neville looked truly petrified.

"Why was _that _there?" Amara said finally.

"Yeah, why is it at _school? _That dog needs exercise!" Ron said.

Hermione had got her breath, and unfortunately, her temper back.

"You don't use your eyes, any of you, do you?" she snapped. "Didn't you see what it was standing on?"

"The floor?" Harry suggested.

"Funnily enough, I was focusing on its _three heads." _Amara said.

"No, _not _the floor. It was standing on a trapdoor. It's obviously guarding something."

She stood up, glaring at them.

"I hope you're pleased with yourselves. We could all have been killed – or worse, expelled. Now, if you don't mind, I'm going to bed."

After she had gone, Ron faced them.

"No, we don't mind," he said "You'd think we dragged her along, wouldn't you?"

Amara shook her head and bade them goodnight. She wandered up to her dormitory and found Hermione waiting for her.

"What?" Amara said

"I can't believe you just did that – we could have been killed or expelled!" Hermione snapped, ignoring the stirs from Lavender, Parvati and Sophie. "The rules are there for a reason you know, we broke at least two tonight! Imagine if we had got caught! I would have made you back me up, you know."

"We didn't _ask _you to come, you know, we didn't even want you there! The only good you did was getting us through the locked door towards the monster!" Amara suddenly snapped, she was fed up of Hermione's 'Miss-Perfect' ways. "And I can tell you – personally, being killed is worse than being expelled, because then you would be _dead."_

And, glancing at Hermione's annoyed face; she stomped to her bed and shut the curtains on her face.


	6. Hallowe'en

**_A/N Another update! Thanks for the follows and favourites and the very few reviews... Please, Review?:) just add a 'lil 'It was good' or 'It was shit' pleaaaaaaaaaaaaaase?:) It makes me happier and makes me update because I know people actually read it!_**

**_Chapter Six_**

**_Hallowe'en_**

Amara saw that Malfoy looked very shocked at the fact that Amara, Harry and Ron were still there the next day at breakfast, each looking tired, but weirdly happy. They had decided, mostly by Amara, that it was officially their first adventure together that was actually scary at the time. They thought it was great fun, and wanted another one soon. Harry had also filled Amara and Ron in about a package that seemed to have moved from Gringotts, where Hagrid took it out, to Hogwarts, where the dog was. They discussed why it needed so much protection.

"It's either really valuable or really dangerous," said Ron

"Or both," said Harry.

"Maybe it's safe for the _user _but not for the person to be used _on. _Or maybe it helps the person!" Amara said

"By doing what?" asked Ron

"I dunno, make you rich or something?"

Hermione and Neville had not showed the slightest interest on the package under the trapdoor and looked as though they'd rather not ever go near it again.

Hermione was also now refusing to speak to any of them, but they didn't care at all, in fact – it was a bonus. Amara had informed Harry and Ron of her argument with Hermione after the adventure and they had congratulated her on adding to the fact she wasn't speaking to them.

"It's true though," said Ron, eating some breakfast "We didn't ask her to come with us; she tried to stop us from going and _invited _herself so she wouldn't get caught alone!"

They readily discussed ways to get Malfoy back for trying to get them expelled.

"I bet he was shocked when he saw us," said Amara, snorting.

And they were pleased to find that the opportunity came about a week later.

The owls flooded into the Great Hall as usual during breakfast, but everyone's attention was drawn to the package that was long and thin and was being carried by six screech owls. Amara, who was keen to know who it was, was amazed to find that they flew and dropped it in front of Harry, making her bacon go on the floor. Another owl dropped a letter neatly on the top of it.

Harry opened the note first, grinned and passed it to Ron and Amara.

_DO NOT OPEN THIS PARCEL AT THE TABLE._

_It contains your new Nimbus Two Thousand, but I don't want everybody knowing you've got a broomstick or they'll want one. Oliver Wood will meet you tonight on the Quidditch Pitch at seven o'clock for your first training session._

_ Professor M. McGonagall_

"_A_ _Nimbus Two Thousand?" _Amara said, having read a book about them in the library. "Wow!"

They left the Hall very quickly, eager to open the parcel before first class. However they were stopped halfway through the Entrance hall by Malfoy. He seized the package and felt it.

"That's a broomstick," he said, throwing it back at Harry with a mixture of jealousy and spite. "You'll be in for it this time, Potter; first-years aren't allowed them."

Ron, it seemed, couldn't resist. "It's not just any broomstick," he said "It's a Nimbus Two Thousand. What did you say you've got at home, Malfoy, a Comet Two Sixty?" Ron grinned "Comets look flashy, but they're not in the same league as the Nimbus."

"What would you know about it, Weasley, you couldn't afford half the handle," Malfoy snapped "I suppose you and your brothers have to save up, twig by twig."

"Lay off, or I'll snap you up, _twig by twig." _Amara said sharply back, before Professor Flitwick came to see the commotion.

"Not arguing I hope, boys?" he squeaked. Amara coughed. "And Miss Matthews!"

"Potter's been sent a broomstick, Professor." Malfoy said quickly.

"Yes, yes, that's right," said Flitwick, who beamed at Harry. "Professor McGonagall told me all about the special circumstances, Potter. And what model is it?"

"A Nimbus Two Thousand, sir," said Harry "And it's really thanks to Malfoy here that I've got it."

Amara stifled a laugh as they climbed the stairs, picturing Malfoy's rage.

"We totally got him back," Amara giggled "Did you see his face? Especially your bit Harry."

"Well it is true," Harry chortled "If he hadn't taken Neville's Remembrall…"

"You wouldn't be on the team!" Amara said.

"So I suppose you think that's a reward for breaking rules?" came an angry voice. Hermione was stomping up the stairs; Amara knew she must've waited for Malfoy's confrontation before speaking to them.

"I thought you weren't speaking to us?" Harry said

"Yes, don't stop now, it's doing us so much good!" said Ron

"It's really teaching us a lesson, you know." said Amara.

"To not break rules."

Hermione marched away, her nose stuck up.

Amara couldn't help feel a bit bad for her that day, she hadn't noticed before, but Hermione always was alone at Hogwarts. She seemed to argue with them so she had someone to talk too. Amara wanted to apologise for her outbursts, but Hermione irritated her a lot, and didn't think she would be able to.

Amara ate her dinner fast and ran up to Gryffindor Tower to unwrap Harry's broomstick. Amara followed the boys into a rather messy dormitory with clothes scattered everywhere. Amara sat on Harry's bed as he retrieved the package from under his bed. Amara watched him unwrap it rather giddily.

"Wow!" said Amara in amazement, as Harry's new broomstick rolled onto the bedspread. She didn't know half the things about broomsticks, but she could tell that it was far better than the school brooms. The handle was smooth and shiny; the twigs at the end were neat and orderly - not scattered everywhere or half missing.

Ron gazed at it admiringly.

When seven o'clock drew nearer, Harry left Amara and Ron in the common room to go down to the Quidditch pitch. Amara had wanted to go and watch with Ron, but the potions essay that they had shoved to the side had resurfaced threateningly as the due date came nearer.

"So," said Ron, underlining his title in a wiggly line "What do we write?"

Amara flicked through her potions book to find a page on dragon blood uses.

"I dunno," Amara said "I wasn't listening to Snape, I was too bothered about keeping away from Neville's cauldron - it looked like it was going to explode."

Ron snorted. "You're better than me though, but I swear I've heard something about it before."

There was a sniff behind them. They turned to see Hermione sitting on her own with stacks of books.

"Yes?" Amara said.

"Nothing - you just need to listen in Potions in future." Hermione sniffed

Amara scowled at her. "Fine," she snapped, slamming her book close "C'mon Ron, the library will have something about it, if she's no help." She glared at Hermione, who looked down her nose at her.

They picked up their things and headed out of the common room and down to the library. There was a muffled silence in the library as they walked in, a few older students were dotted at tables and some people were walking the shelves aimlessly. Madam Pince was patrolling the shelves, barking at some to be quiet.

Amara and Ron found a table and began wandering through the shelves and trying to find any books on dragon's blood.

"What are you doing?" snapped Madam Pince behind her, making her jump.

"Trying to find a book on dragons blood, ma'am." Amara said

"You're looking in the wrong place then," Madam Pince said "It's over there." She pointed at some shelves.

A few minutes later, Amara and Ron were surrounded by piles of books and scribbling the answers for their potions essays. Amara still found it weird to write with a quill, but she was slowly getting used to it and not knocking her ink bottle over every time.

-OOOOOO-

Amara had now been at Hogwarts for two whole months, which she found surprising. Her lessons were becoming more interesting (except History of Magic) now she knew the basis of everything.

The delicious smell of pumpkin travelled down the corridors on Hallowe'en morning. Professor Flitwick announced that they were now able to make objects fly, which Amara had been dying to do since Neville's toad Trevor zoomed around the classroom by Professor Flitwick.

He put them into partners to practise, Amara was with Dean as Harry was with Seamus, but Ron was put with Hermione.

It was hard to tell who was angrier, as Hermione hasn't spoken to them since she interrupted them whilst Harry was at Quidditch training. Ron looked furious and kept glaring at Amara for laughing at his face.

"Oh shut up," he said, much to Amara and Harry's even more amusement.

"Now don't forget the nice wrist movement we've been practising!" Professor Flitwick called over the chatter. "Swish and flick, remember, swish and flick. And saying the magic words properly is important too – never forget Wizard Baruffio, who said 's' instead of 'f' and found himself on the floor with a buffalo on his chest."

Amara and Dean swished and flicked, but it was very difficult. Amara managed to get the feather they were meant to be flying skywards twitch slightly up before becoming dead still. Dean tried to blow on the feather when Professor Flitwick wasn't looking, but it just floated onto the floor.

Harry and Seamus weren't faring well either – Seamus made his feather catch alight as he got frustrated with it and prodded it with his wand.

Ron didn't have much luck either.

"_Wingardium Leviosa!" _he shouted loudly, waving his arms around.

"You're saying it wrong," Hermione snapped "It's Win-_gar-_dium Levi-_o-_sa. Make the 'gar' nice and long."

"You do it then, if you're so clever," snarled Ron, crossing his arms.

Hermione rolled up her sleeves, flicked her wand and said clearly "Wingardium Leviosa!"

The feather floated upwards and hovered above their heads.

Scowling as Professor Flitwick congratulated her, Amara rolled up her own sleeves and flicked her wand.

"_Wingardium Leviosa!" _she said.

To her surprise, the feather floated upwards too, joining Hermione and Ron's feather, which was still in the air. Amara saw Hermione's smug face and knew it was because Ron got angry with her that it was still up there.

All in all, Ron was in a very horrid mood when they walked out of the lesson.

"C'mon Ron, she isn't that bad," said Amara as they walked to their next class.

"Yes she is! No wonder _no one _can stand her!" Ron said angrily, as the squeezed themselves through the crowded corridor. "She's a nightmare, honestly."

Amara felt someone brush past them in a hurry, she saw it was Hermione. And by the look on her face, she had heard them.

"She heard you," said Amara guiltily.

"So?" Ron said, but he looked uncomfortable "She must've noticed she's got no friends."

Eventhough Amara knew it was true; she didn't stop worrying about it the entire day. Hermione didn't show up the entire afternoon, and Amara was about to express her concern on the way to the Hallowe'en feast when they heard Lavender telling Parvati she was crying in the bathroom.

But at the sight of the Great Hall, Hermione flew out of their minds. There were live bats flying around the starry ceiling and clusters of them flying above the tables. Pumpkins floated around in groups and on their own.

Amara thought about her other Hallowe'en days. Last year Amara dressed as a witch, much to her amusement now. They, Amara, Tessie and Ethan had a tradition of going round with their cousins, Sara and Poppy, who lived in the next street. Amara, being a two years older than Sara, hadn't told them yet of what she was. She knew she couldn't tell them the truth – unless they turned out to be witches themselves. Her cousins from her mum's side lived in the south of France and went to boarding school there, but they never had said _where_. There was Jesse, who was three years older than Amara, Noah, who was two years older than her and Tally, who was a year younger than her.

She was just munching on a sausage roll when Professor Quirrell came sprinting into the Hall, a look of pure terror etched upon his pale face.

He ran right up to Dumbledore and said: "Troll – in the Dungeon – thought you ought to know."

Then he fainted.

Amara stared wide-eyed before she shrieked. She wasn't the only one – the whole Hall was in an uproar. Several purple fire-crackers exploded from Dumbledore's wand so everyone would be silent.

"Prefects," he boomed. "Lead your houses back to the dormitories immediately!"

Eventhough the time wasn't right – Percy was in his element.

Amara ignored him as they climbed the stairs.

"How'd you think the troll got in?" she asked them

"I dunno," said Harry

"They're supposed to be really stupid," Ron said "Maybe Peeves let one in as a Hallowe'en joke."

They squeezed themselves a group of Hufflepuffs when Harry stopped them.

"I've just thought – Hermione."

"Huh?"

"She doesn't know about the troll."

Amara's eyes went wide.

"Let's go!" she exclaimed.

Ron looked at her stubborn face. "Fine," he snapped, after consideration "But don't let Percy see us."

Ducking behind the Hufflepuffs who were heading the other way, they managed to escape the crowds and hurry down a side corridor towards the girls' toilets.

They turned had just turned the corner when quick footsteps echoed behind them.

Amara jumped behind a stone griffin as Ron dragged Harry back, hissing "_Percy!"_

It wasn't Percy though, it was Snape.

He crossed the corridor and disappeared from view.

"What's he doing?" Harry whispered. "Why isn't he down in the dungeons with the rest of the teachers?"

Amara shrugged "I dunno," she said, as Ron crept forwards. They quietly went after Snape's retreating footsteps.

"He's heading for the third floor," said Harry.

Amara was about to answer when a foul stench wafted up her nostrils. It didn't help when Ron put his hand up to silence Harry so more wafted up too. It smelt of public toilets that Amara shuddered to go in mixed with old socks.

And then, from the end of the passageway, there was a shuffling of slow footsteps and low grunting noises. Amara quivered in fear as a huge shadow became visible in the moonlight. They shrank into the shadows as a horrible monster slumped towards them.

Twelve-feet tall and a body like a grey boulder, the troll had a coconut-sized head that perched weirdly on top of the boulder-shaped body. It had short legs with horny feet and was carrying a deadly club, which was being dragged along the floor. Amara gagged as the smell became unbearable, she covered her nose with her robes.

The troll stopped in the doorway, but Amara was too busy staring at the club to notice where it was. Its long ears waggled in thought before it slouched into the room.

"The key's in the lock," whispered Harry "We could lock it in."

"Good idea," Ron said nervously, whilst Amara stared.

They edged forwards, Amara hoping the troll would stay in the -.

Amara stopped dead. It wasn't just a room the troll had gone into: it was the girls' bathroom.

Harry leapt forwards and locked the door, before Amara could say a word.

"Wait," she said hoarsely, making the two boys stop the celebration.

"That's not just a room," she said

"It's the girls' bathroom." A high, petrified scream echoed through the corridor.

"_Hermione!" _they said together, before sprinting back to the door and wrenching it open.

Amara ran inside first, but stopped at the scene.

Hermione was pressed against the wall, looking extremely faint as the troll advanced on her, swinging his club threateningly.

"Hermione!" Amara shouted desperately, for she hadn't noticed they were there yet.

"Confuse it!" said Harry grabbing a tap and lobbing it at the wall. The troll turned stupidly and rested its eyes on Harry.

It lumbered towards him, so Amara threw a piece of sink at its head, which bounced off.

"Oy, pea-brain!" Ron shouted so that it turned to him instead. Harry ran round to Hermione to make her move. Amara got a bit of pipe started whacking a bit of sink on it, making a loud clanging noise. The troll moved towards her, and Amara ran into the only space left – which was a corner. Trapped against the wall she weakly lifted her then-forgotten wand in hope that she knew a spell to stop it.

Suddenly, Harry took a running jump and latched himself onto his neck, accidently shoving his wand up its nose. This obviously caused the troll a great deal of pain, for he started to twist himself furiously around. Hermione had sunk to the floor and Amara was trying to pull her up. Then, Ron's voice rang around the room: "Wingardium Leviosa!"

Amazingly, the club flew upwards and dropped heavily onto the troll's head. Amara winced as the troll fell face-first onto the floor.

Harry got shakily to his feet as Ron gaped at his still-raised wand.

"Is it dead?" Hermione asked.

Amara looked at the troll in disgust "No," she said "It's just knocked out."

Harry retrieved his wand from the nose and wiped the grey bogeys onto his robes. Amara decided not to tell him, for they all had dirty robes anyway.

Then there were loud footsteps coming towards them, Amara wasn't surprised, the troll _had _been making an awful lot of noise.

Professor McGonagall came sprinting into the bathroom, followed closely by Snape and Quirrell.

Whilst Quirrell sat on the toilet from fear and Snape looked at the troll, McGonagall stared at Amara, Harry and Ron in anger. Amara was slightly perturbed – she hadn't seen McGonagall look this angry before.

"What on earth were you thinking of?" she said, her lips white. Amara gulped and stared at the spot on her hat. "You're lucky you weren't killed, why aren't you in your dormitory?"

"Please Professor, they were looking for me."

Hermione had come out of the shadows.

Amara looked around so fast, she cricked her neck. Wincing, she rubbed it as Hermione carried on.

"I went looking for the troll because I – I thought I could deal with it on my own – you know, because I've read all about them."

Amara gaped at her – Hermione Granger was telling a lie to a teacher!

"If they hadn't found me, I'd be dead now. Amara distracted it so Harry could shove his wand up its nose and Ron knocked it out with its own club. They didn't have time to fetch anyone. It was about to finish me off when they arrived.

Amara stopped gaping and tried to look unfazed.

"Well –in that case…" said McGonagall, staring at them all. "Miss Granger, you foolish girl, how could you think of tacking a mountain troll on your own."

Amara was wide-eyed. Hermione had just spared them the trouble of being told off by _lying _and it was against the _rules. _Amara didn't know what to think, but she felt a small part of her warming up to Hermione for doing that for them.

"Miss Granger, five points will be taken from Gryffindor house for this," said Professor McGonagall. "I'm very disappointed in you. If you're not hurt at all, you'd better get off to Gryffindor Tower. Students are finishing the feast in their houses."

After they watched Hermione leave, Professor McGonagall turned to her, Harry and Ron.

"Well, I still say you were lucky, but not many first-years could have taken on a fully grown mountain troll. You each win Gryffindor five points. Professor Dumbledore will be informed of this. You may go."

They hurried out of the toilet, Amara was glad they didn't have to clean the mess up.

"We should have got a _few _more points," Amara said "We did save her."

"She might not need to have been saved though, we did lock it in." Harry pointed out.

"Nah, it was aiming for that way anyways. Good of her to get us out of trouble, wasn't it?" Amara said.

Harry and Ron nodded as they entered the Gryffindor Tower.

Hermione was waiting for them at the door. Amara smiled at her, and, with a mutter of 'thanks' they went and got more food.

A while later, Amara walked up the stairs with Hermione.

"Thanks for that, you know," Amara said

Hermione smiled "You did _save _me."

Amara decided not to say they locked her in. "Nah, but, you know, you're not _all _bad." She grinned at Hermione as they changed.

They got into bed.

"Oh, and Hermione?" Amara called.

"Yeah?"

"_We're _your friends now."


	7. Quidditch

_**A/N WHOOO another chapter... thanks to **_**xxxMadameMysteryxxx ****_for the review!:)_**

**_Chapter Seven_**

**_Quidditch_**

November came too quickly for Amara's liking. She hated cold weather, and when November rolled in, the weather was icy. She liked Christmas, but that was all in the winter that she liked – as well as the snow, but where she lived, it didn't snow that often.

The Quidditch season had finally begun, much to Harry and Amara's joy. The first match was on Saturday, and Harry was training hard. Amara was excited for it was her first ever match to watch – she didn't know what to expect.

Hermione had proven to be a very good friend. She was more relaxed and fun now that she had broken a few rules (and Amara had fun-ned her up a bit). She helped Amara with History of Magic essays but refused to give the answers away to any of the other essays for Harry and Ron. But she didn't know that Amara helped them a lot when she was in the library. Amara had begged Harry to let her read _Quidditch through the Ages _too, as Hermione had let Harry borrow it.

He had agreed, but only after he had read it, which was fine for Amara.

Hermione also taught Amara a nifty spell that conjured bright blue-bell flames that could be carried in a jam jar. She had conjured one for them in the courtyard to warm up on the Friday before the match. They saw Snape limp across the courtyard, so they shuffled together, as they didn't know what was allowed. They must have looked guilty, for he came limping over to inspect.

He confiscated _Quidditch through the Ages_, much to Amara's annoyance, because Harry had nearly finished it.

Amara hoped his leg hurt him a lot.

-OOOOOO-

That evening, Harry was restless.

"Go get your book then, if it bothers you that much." Amara snapped, for she was doing a tricky Potions essay.

Harry nodded.

"Look, I'll come with you," she offered "I need to stretch my legs."

So the two of them headed towards the Staff Room on the Ground Floor. Amara was getting used to all the stairs – it gave her a lot of exercise.

They knocked on the door but got no answer. Amara opened the door a crack a peeped through. Harry, being taller, looked over her head.

Amara was not pleased with the sight.

Snape and Filch were alone in the room. Snape was holding up his robes and re-bandaging a horrible wound on his leg.

"Blasted thing," Snape said "How are you meant to keep an eye on all three heads at once?"

Amara decided to close the door but –

"POTTER! MATTHEWS!"

Snape looked so angry Amara stumbled backwards.

Bravely, in Amara's opinion, Harry said: "I was wondering if I could have my book back."

"GET OUT! _GET OUT!"_

They didn't need to be told again, they ran all the way back to the common room, Amara holding in her hysterical giggles.

"Did you get it?" Ron asked "What's the matter?"

Harry told them, whilst Amara's face was contorted with un-shed giggles.

"What's up with you Amara?" Harry said.

Amara burst into her giggles for five seconds before clamping her mouth shut.

"I'm sorry," she said "I giggle at awful situations – not because they're funny, I just do. Especially whilst being told off."

Harry shook his head in amusement.

"Anyway, you know what this means?" Harry asked. "Snape tried to get past the dog at Hallowe'en! He probably let the –"

"– troll in as a diversion!" Amara finished "Of course!"

Hermione looked troubled, but Ron agreed with them.

"No – he wouldn't." she said, Amara rolled her eyes. "I know he's not very nice, but he wouldn't try and steal something Dumbledore's trying to keep safe."

Amara sighed. "You just won't hear a word against _any _teacher, even if it is Snape."

"You think they're saints or something," said Ron "Anyway – I'm with Harry, I wouldn't put it past Snape. But what's he after? What's the dog guarding?"

Amara tried to forget about the picture of Snape's mangled leg as she went to bed that night.

"D'you think Harry will be OK tomorrow?" asked Amara as they got changed.

"Of course, you saw how he flew in class." Parvati said, brushing her hair.

"Yeah, he'll be fine once on the pitch." Hermione said.

Amara nodded and hopped into bed.

-OOOOOO-

Amara was very excited the next morning; she helped herself to a large portion of fried sausages and eggs to keep her going for her first match. Harry, however, wasn't eating anything.

"C'mon Harry," said Amara, pausing from her sausage-eating competition with Seamus and Ron. "You need to eat – here, join in!"

"No thanks," Harry said, looking slightly disgusted as Amara resumed play.

"Toast?" Amara asked, wafting the smell into Harry "Sausages? Eggs?"

"Harry, you need your strength," Seamus said "Seekers are always the ones that get nobbled by the other team."

Amara laughed as he drowned his sausage in ketchup.

Harry left soon after, so Amara and Hermione ran up to Gryffindor Tower to get the banner they had made for Harry.

They met up with Ron, Neville, Dean and Seamus at the top of the stands. Amara chatter animatedly with Dean and Seamus whilst they waited. Amara was more excited than usual, because it was her birthday on Tuesday.

Finally, the players marched out onto the pitch. Amara and the others waved the banner above their heads in excitement as they saw the small figure of Harry walking behind the Weasley twins.

"Welcome to the first Quidditch match of the season!" yelled a voice from the stands. Lee Jordan, Fred and George's friend, was doing the commentary. Professor McGonagall was watching him like a hawk. "Gryffindor verses Slytherin!"

The crowd whooped as he said it.

Madam Hooch, the referee, stood in the middle of the pitch with her broomstick. She waited until all the players had gathered around her.

The stands were silent as they watched Madam Hooch exchange a few words, the anticipation building. The players mounted their brooms, Madam Hooch blew her whistle – and the game began.

Fifteen brooms rose up, high, high into the air. They were off.

"And the Quaffle is taken immediately by Angelina Johnson of Gryffindor - what an excellent Chaser that girl is, and rather attractive, too -"

"JORDAN!"

"Sorry, Professor."

"And she's really belting along up there, a neat pass to Alicia Spinnet, a good find of Oliver Wood's, last year only a reserve – back to Johnson and – no, Slytherin have taken the Quaffle, Slytherin captain Marcus Flint gains the Quaffle and off he goes – Flint flying like an eagle up there – he's going to sc- no, stopped by an excellent move by Gryffindor Keeper Wood and Gryffindor take the Quaffle - that's Chaser Katie Bell of Gryffindor there, nice dive around Flint, off up the field and — OUCH — that must have hurt, hit in the back of the head by a Bludger — Quaffle taken by Slytherin — that's Adrian Pucey speeding off toward the goal posts, but he's blocked by a second Bludger — sent his way by Fred or George Weasley, can't tell which — nice play by the Gryffindor Beater, anyway, and Johnson back in possession of the Quaffle, a clear field ahead and off she goes — she's really flying — dodges a speeding Bludger — the goal posts are ahead — come on, now, Angelina — Keeper Bletchley dives — misses — GRYFFINDOR SCORE!"

Gryffindor cheers filled the cold air, with howls and moans from the Slytherins.

"Budge up there, move along,"

"Hey Hagrid!" smiled Amara as they budged together to make room for him.

"Hello Amara, bin watchin' from me hut," said Hagrid, pointing to his binoculars, "But it isn't the same as bein' in the crowd. No sign of the Snitch yet, eh?"

"No," Amara said "Harry's just been flying above everyone."

"At least he's kept outta trouble, though, that's somethin'," Hagrid said, watching Harry through his binoculars.

Amara watching intently at the game, she watched the Chasers and Fred and George, who seemed to fly around as fast as the Bludgers themselves.

"Slytherin in possession," Lee Jordan was saying, "Chaser Pucey ducks two Bludgers, two Weasleys, and Chaser Bell, and speeds toward the - wait a moment - was that the Snitch?"

A murmur ran through the crowd as Adrian Pucey dropped the Quaffle, too busy looking over his shoulder at the flash of gold that had passed his left ear.

The whole game seemed to freeze as the two seekers – Harry and a boy called Terence Higgs – hurtled towards the Snitch. Harry was faster than Higgs, so he was gradually pulling ahead. He was so close when – WHAM!

Marcus Flint, the Slytherin captain had purposely blocked Harry so that he span off course.

"FOUL!" Amara and the others shouted.

The Gryffindor Team got a free shot for it, but they were still angry.

"Send him off, ref! Red Card!" yelled Dean angrily.

Ron shook his head. "You can't send people off in Quidditch, Dean – and what's a red card?"

"I agree with Dean," Amara said "He could've hurt Harry."

Hagrid seemed to agree too.

"They oughta change the rules, Flint coulda knocked Harry outta the air."

Lee was also finding it hard not to be biased.

Amara couldn't help but laugh at his attempts to carry the game on.

"_Jordan, I'm warning you –"_

"All right, all right," Lee sighed. "Flint nearly kills the Gryffindor Seeker, which could have happened to anyone, I'm sure, so a penalty to Gryffindor, taken by Spinnet, who puts it away, no trouble, and we continue play, Gryffindor still in possession."

Amara was watching the game when she noticed Harry's broomstick acting oddly.

"Slytherin in possession - Flint with the Quaffle - passes Spinnet - passes Bell - hit hard in the face by a Bludger, hope it broke his nose - only joking, Professor - Slytherins score - A no..."

The Slytherins were cheering.

"What on _earth_ is Harry's broomstick doing?" Amara said worriedly, as it started rolling him over.

"Looks like he's lost control of his broom… but he can't have…" Hagrid said.

"I think it has – oh god!" Amara gasped. The whole crowd gasped along with her, for they had noticed Harry too. They were pointing at him and gasping.

Harry had been flung off his broom and was clinging on for dear life with one hand.

"Did something happen to it when Flint blocked him?" Seamus whispered.

"Can't have," Hagrid said, his voice shaking. "Can't nothing interfere with a broomstick except powerful Dark magic - no kid could do that to a Nimbus Two Thousand."

At these words, Hermione seized Hagrid's binoculars, but instead of looking up at Harry, she started looking frantically at the crowd.

"What are you doing?" moaned Ron, grey-faced.

"I knew it," Hermione gasped, "Snape - look."

Amara and Ron grabbed the binoculars and peered through them. Luckily, they were Hagrid-sized and big enough for both of them. Snape was in the middle of the stands opposite them. He had his eyes fixed on Harry and was muttering nonstop under his breath.

"He's doing something - jinxing the broom," said Hermione.

"But what can we do?" Amara said desperately.

"Leave it to me."

"_Hermione!"_

But before Amara could call her back, Hermione had disappeared. Ron turned the binoculars back on Harry. His broom was vibrating so hard, it was almost impossible for him to hang on much longer. The whole crowd was on its feet, watching, terrified, as the Weasleys flew up to try and pull Harry safely onto one of their brooms, but it was no good - every time they got near him, the broom would jump higher still. They dropped lower and circled beneath him, obviously hoping to catch him if he fell. Marcus Flint seized the Quaffle and scored five times without anyone noticing.

"What a git," Amara muttered, being the only one who had noticed him.

"Come on Hermione," Ron said.

Amara swivelled the binoculars back to Snape, where she saw Hermione making her way towards him without him noticing, knocking Quirrell into the row in front accidently. Bright blue flames suddenly appeared and it took no time at all for Snape to realise he was on fire. He yelped, but the flames disappeared quickly, for Hermione had scooped them back up.

"Look at Harry!" Ron said to Amara, who was trying to pry Neville off of Hagrid.

Amara saw Harry shoot towards the ground, his hands clamped over his mouth. He slammed into the ground on all floors and coughed up something gold.

Amara yelped in delight when she found out it was the snitch.

"GRYFFINDOR WINS!" yelled Lee Jordan, as Harry walked off with Amara, Ron, Hermione and Hagrid after the game. "ONE HUNDRED AND SEVENTY POINTS TO SIXTY!"

Amara made him a cup of strong tea as they explained what happened.

"Rubbish," said Hagrid, when they got to the bit about Snape. "Why would Snape do somethin' like that?"

"Weren't you list-" Amara began

"I found out something about him," Harry cut in, "He tried to get past that three-headed dog on Halloween. It bit him. We think he was trying to steal whatever it's guarding."

Hagrid dropped his teapot with a jump.

"How d'you know about Fluffy?"

"_Fluffy?" _Amara snorted, changing it to a cough half-way through.

"Yeah - he's mine - bought him off a Greek chappie I met in the pub las' year - I lent him to Dumbledore to guard the –"

"Yes?" said Harry and Amara eagerly.

"Now, don't ask me anymore," said Hagrid gruffly. "That's top secret, that is."

"But Snape's trying to steal it."

"Rubbish," said Hagrid again. "Snape's a Hogwarts teacher, he'd do nothin' of the sort."

"So why did he just try and kill Harry?" cried Hermione.

Amara decided Hermione had had a change of heart about Snape.

"I know a jinx when I see one, Hagrid; I've read all about them! You've got to keep eye contact, and Snape wasn't blinking at all, I saw him!"

"Exactly!" Amara nodded.

"I'm tellin' yeh, yer wrong!" said Hagrid hotly. "I don' know why Harry's broom acted like that, but Snape wouldn' try an' kill a student! Now, listen to me, all four of yeh - yer meddlin' in things that don' concern yeh. It's dangerous. You forget that dog, an' you forget what it's guardin', that's between Professor Dumbledore an' Nicolas Flamel –"

"Aha!" said Harry, "so there's someone called Nicolas Flamel involved, is there?"

Hagrid looked furious with himself.


	8. The End of the First Term

**_A/N YAY a new chapter!:) R&R, I probably won't update as regularly as school starts again tomorrow (groans:() but anyway... _**

**_Chapter Eight_**

**_The End of the First Term_**

Amara woke early on the Tuesday of her birthday. Partially because Hermione had woken her up by her, Lavender and Parvati singing and partially because she wanted to anyway.

"Happy Birthday, Amara!" Lavender squealed, plopping a present on her lap "This is from me and Parvati."

"Thank you!" Amara said, giving them a hug, which they returned.

She opened the package to find a pretty wooden hairbrush that was decorated with pretty flowers.

"Oh wow, this is so pretty! Thank you!" Amara said, meaning it, for she had to borrow Lavender's when hers broke a few weeks ago.

"No problem!" they said, before bouncing down the stairs.

Hermione gave her another present, which turned out to be, of course, a book. It was actually very interesting, it was about Quidditch.

"I'll have to let Harry read this," she said, flicking through it. "It might help."

She dressed into her school robes and headed to the common room, where Harry and Ron were waiting.

"Happy Birthday, Amara." said Harry, giving her a present. "I didn't know what to get you, in all honesty.

Amara laughed. "Ahh, but you can't go wrong with chocolate Harry," for she had received some Chocolate frogs from him "Thanks!"

Ron had got her some sweets too, and Amara was very pleased. Her day was very nice too, for she had Charms, which was now her favourite class. Dean, at lunch, gave her a drawing of a dragon, which Amara was amazed by. He had got a potion from the store cupboard that he had dunked the picture in so that it would move. Seamus had given her a new quill.

Her parents had given her some new slippers and some of her favourite muggle sweets, Ethan and Tessie had got her another book.

Tessie, who was in Year 3 at her Primary School but still quite bad at spelling, had written her a letter.

_To Amara_

_Hapy__ Happy Birthday! We wish you were home because __its__ it's lonely without you. I am so board at __scool __school, I want to __lern__ learn magic to. Do you think I will? I want to, and Ethan __dos__ does __two__ to. _

_Mummy said you might be coming back soon. Christmas is coming as well, is that why? We made __cookes__ cookies today, but Ethan ate most of them. Have a good day Mar-mar!_

_Love_

_Tessie_

_XXXXXXX_

Amara had laughed at her sister's letter and given it to people so they could read it too.

"Your sister sounds so cute," Lavender cooed at dinner "I wish I had a sister!"

"There are quite a few spelling mistakes," Hermione said

"She's only seven," Amara frowned, stabbing a potato with her fork. "Every does that when they're seven."

"Oh, sorry, I thought she was nine."

"Nah, that's Ethan, little bugger."

Amara, eventhough she wasn't with her family, had a nice birthday.

'Really,' Amara thought as she lay down, listening to the gentle snores coming from Lavender's bed, 'Being without your family isn't too bad. At least I'll see them at Christmas.'

The next few weeks steadily got colder as November came to an end. Amara hated the cold, she longed for her bed in classes and the roaring fire in the common room. It hadn't got that cold yet, but Amara knew that once they hit December, the worst weather would soon come. She preferred it down in Winchester, for the winters there weren't as bad, especially when they were able to go ice-skating and Christmas shopping. But in the mountains it was freezing, especially when they had to go outside for Herbology. Amara had to keep her hands in her cloak most of the time, and made Hermione teach her the bluebell-flame spell so she could carry some around in her pocket, in a small jar.

The classes were more interesting now, and Amara was able to pick out the subjects she liked and was best at. She loved Charms and Transfiguration, but _hated _History of Magic and Defence Against the Dark Arts because of the teacher. She wasn't too bad at Potions, Herbology or Astronomy, but she didn't like them as much.

Two weeks after her birthday, Amara received a letter from her auntie, the mother of Sara and Poppy. She was very shocked at what she found out.

_Hello, dear Amara!_

_I gave this to your parents to give to you, eventhough I know how to get it to you. Yes, you're a witch, am I right? I'm not that surprised, to tell you the truth, with all the things you did when you were younger. Eventhough I'm not a blood-relation, I wrote to tell you that _my _parents were magical themselves. Now, you must be wondering why I never said anything, well you see, unfortunately, I'm actually a squib. I found out when I was ten, when my parents found out that I hadn't done any accidental magic. They wrote to Professor Dumbledore, who told them I was not magical. It was a blow to them, I think, that's why they preferred Max over me, because he was able to do magic. I was a half-blood, my mother being muggle-born, but I am a squib now. Squibs, if you haven't already guessed, are what people call 'Wizard-born Muggles'. This means I cannot do any magic and have to live like a muggle. I'm not to bothered myself, mainly due to the fact that I never had the chance, so I don't know what it is like. I am very happy for you, though, Amara. Your parents must be so proud! They weren't very careful though, silly things, Bryony sent you a letter whilst I was there and I saw the owl through the door. I, of course, asked her and she told me. I haven't told Anthony about my being of a squib, because, I feel, I haven't needed to. Why bother him when nothing will ever happen to him? Sara and Poppy, I'm afraid, probably won't have magical blood, but their children, or grand-children might, for it resurfaces after several generations. You don't know how proud I was when I found out you were friends with_ _Harry Potter! Yes, I know all about him, my parents told me about him. They were friends with the Potters – Harry's Father's parents, mind you, and were always going to their parties. I wasn't invited, of course, but I met James once, when he popped round my house. I, being a few years older, asked him what he wanted, and, poor thing, he looked so confused. He thought that Max was the only child! My parents, about three years later, told me what happened. God, it was awful! Anyway, I'm very happy for you, dear, and may you have many many many happy times at Hogwarts! Oh yes, happy birthday for last week! _

_Love from_

_Your Aunt Sophia_

_P.S Congratulations on being a Gryffindor – Max was a Ravenclaw, boring old sod._

Amara laughed at her Aunt's humour. She was always funny at Christmas time. It was true though, Amara had met Max when she was younger, and he was rather boring.

But, Amara was amazed at this piece of information! Sophia was a squib whilst her parents were magical. Only they weren't of any relation to Amara, because it was her father's brother whom Sophia was married to, and not the other way around. She showed Hermione her letter later that night, but didn't show Harry or Ron, because it was a private matter, and she didn't know how people in the wizarding world took squibs.

-OOOOOO-

Christmas was coming. It was in the air as the first batch of snow in mid-December arrived. They awoke to find a thick blanket covering every corner of the grounds. The lake had completely frozen over, trapping the poor squid underneath. The Weasley Twins, much to Amara's amusement, had bewitched several snowballs to bounce off of Professor Quirrell's turban.

The weather had definitely gotten colder – the corridors were now icy and gusts of freezing air puffed through the doors. Potions had become even more unbearable, with it being down in the dungeons. Amara kept close to her fire whilst working, so that she could still feel some of her fingers.

The week before Professor McGonagall had come around with a list for people staying at Hogwarts for Christmas. Harry had signed up at once, which Amara wasn't surprised about, but the Weasley's had too, because Mr and Mrs Weasley were visiting Charlie.

"Sorry we can't be there," Amara said as they went down to Potions one day. "It's just – well, I haven't seen Mum and Dad for ages."

"Its fine," Harry told her "Ron and that are staying too, so it's not like I'm going to be lonely."

This cheered Amara up, but Potions didn't, especially Draco Malfoy.

"I do feel so sorry," said Draco Malfoy, one Potions class, "for all those people who have to stay at Hogwarts for Christmas because they're not wanted at home."

Amara noticed that he was staring intently at Harry whilst he said this, meaning it to be aimed at him. His cronies, Crabbe and Goyle, chuckled dutifully. Harry, who was measuring out powdered spine of lionfish, ignored them, which Amara was pleased with. Malfoy had been even more unpleasant than usual since the Quidditch match. Disgusted that the Slytherins had lost, he had tried to get everyone laughing at how a wide-mouthed tree frog would be replacing Harry as Seeker next. Then he'd realized that nobody found this funny, because they were all so impressed at the way Harry had managed to stay on his bucking broomstick. So Malfoy, jealous and angry, had gone back to taunting Harry about having no proper family.

"Prats," Amara muttered, making Harry smile "_Obviously _he's running out of things to pick on you about." She said the last bit louder, just so that Malfoy could hear. He turned slightly pink, but luckily Professor Snape leant over his potion just then, so he couldn't comment.

When they left the dungeons at the end of Potions, they found a large fir tree blocking the corridor ahead. Two enormous feet sticking out at the bottom and a loud puffing sound told them that Hagrid was behind it.

"Hi, Hagrid, want any help?" Ron asked, sticking his head through the branches. Amara stuck her head through too, just in case.

"Nah, I'm all right, thanks, Ron."

"Would you mind moving out of the way?" came Malfoys cold drawl from behind them. "Are you trying to earn some extra money, Weasley? Hoping to be gamekeeper yourself when you leave Hogwarts, I suppose - that hut of Hagrid's must seem like a palace compared to what your family's used to."

Amara glared at him and was just about to open her mouth to say something when Ron dived at him. Snape, this time unluckily, was just coming up the stairs.

"WEASLEY!" he hollered

Ron let go of the front of Malfoy's robes.

"He was provoked, Professor Snape," said Hagrid, sticking his huge hairy face out from behind the tree. "Malfoy was insultin' his family."

"Be that as it may, fighting is against Hogwarts rules, Hagrid," said Snape silkily. "Five points from Gryffindor, Weasley, and be grateful it isn't more. Move along, all of you."

Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle pushed roughly past the tree, scattering needles everywhere and smirking.

"I'll get him," said Ron, grinding his teeth at Malfoy's back, "one of these days, I'll

get him –"

"Me too," agreed Amara, scowling at his retreating back.

"I hate them both," said Harry, "Malfoy and Snape."

"Come on, cheer up, it's nearly Christmas," said Hagrid. "Tell yeh what, come with me an' see the Great Hall, looks a treat."

So the four of them followed Hagrid and his tree off to -the Great Hall, where Professor McGonagall and Professor Flitwick were busy with the Christmas decorations.

"Ah, Hagrid, the last tree - put it in the far corner, would you?"

The hall looked spectacular. Festoons of holly and mistletoe hung all around the walls, and no less than twelve towering Christmas trees stood around the room, some sparkling with tiny icicles, some glittering with hundreds of candles.

"How many days you got left until yer holidays?" Hagrid asked.

"Just one," said Hermione. "And that reminds me -Harry, Ron, Amara - we've got half an hour before lunch, we should be in the library."

"Oh yeah, you're right," said Ron, tearing his eyes away from Professor Flitwick, who had golden bubbles blossoming out of his wand and was trailing them over the branches of the new tree. Amara was amazed at this and felt even more Christmassy.

"The library?" said Hagrid, following them out of the hall. "Just before the holidays? Bit keen, aren't yeh?"

"Oh," said Amara happily "It's not for _homework."_

Harry told him brightly: "Ever since you mentioned Nicolas Flamel we've been trying to find out who he is."

"You what?" Hagrid looked shocked. "Listen here - I've told yeh - drop it. It's nothin' to you what that dog's guardin'."

"We just want to know who Nicolas Flamel is, that's all," said Hermione.

"Unless you'd like to tell us and save us the trouble?" Harry added. "We must've been through hundreds of books already and we can't find him anywhere - just give us a hint - I know I've read his name somewhere."

"It's really bugging me too, we've looked almost through quarter of library by now – and you know how big that library is.

"I'm sayin' nothin, said Hagrid flatly.

"Just have to find out for ourselves, then," said Ron, and they left Hagrid looking disgruntled and hurried off to the library.

"Hermione," Amara said, looking at her face "Don't look _too _pleased that you're letting us go to the library with you for hours."

Hermione just rolled her eyes as Ron snorted.

They had been searching books for Flamel's name ever since Hagrid had let it slip in his hut, because how else were they going to find out what Snape was trying to steal? The trouble was, it was very hard to know where to begin, not knowing what Flamel might have done to get himself into a book. He wasn't in Great Wizards of the Twentieth Century, or Notable Magical Names of Our Time; he was missing, too, from Important Modern Magical Discoveries, and A Study of Recent Developments in Wizardry. And then, of course, there was the sheer size of the library; tens of thousands of books; thousands of shelves; hundreds of narrow rows. Also, high above the shelves were several catwalks strung from the ceiling for the higher shelves. Amara decided to go to them, and dragged Ron, who was aimlessly walking about, with her.

Hermione took out a list of subjects and titles she had decided to search while Harry wandered over to the Restricted Section.

Amara looked at the titles of books around her, stretching out to get some. They spent a good fifteen minutes looking before shrugging and wandering off. They found Hermione and Harry outside already, who hadn't found anything either. Shaking their heads, they went off to lunch.

"You will keep looking while I'm away, won't you?" said Hermione. "And send me an owl if you find anything."

"Me too," said Amara "We won't be able to find anything at our houses."

"And you could ask both of your parents if they know who Flamel is," said Ron. "It'd be safe to ask them."

"Yeah, safe, considering they're muggles and Hermione's are dentists." Amara rolled her eyes.

"What are dentists?" asked Ron.

"They look at your teeth to check they're in order," Hermione said as they sat down.

"Why would you want someone to do that?" asked Ron in confusion.

"To check if they're ok and not going to rot."

"Can't you do it yourself?"

"Not really,"

Ron frowned. "Muggles," he shook his head at the potato he was about to eat, making Amara snort into her pumpkin juice.

-OOOOO-

Amara was glad that the Christmas Holidays were there, she was looking forward to seeing her family again. As much as she loved Hogwarts, she missed her family and her own bed with Tessie and Ethan.

They had said goodbye to Harry and Ron that morning, before going out in the icy wind towards the station. Now they were speeding across the frosty countryside with patches of snow here and there. Amara and Hermione had got a compartment with Dean, Seamus and Neville because Parvati and Lavender had gone to sit with Padma, Parvati's twin, and her Ravenclaw friends. Hermione was currently behind a book that she had decided to read once again and Amara, Dean, Seamus and Neville were discussing Quidditch.

"What British teams are there though?" asked Amara "I don't know who to support!"

"Loads," said Seamus "And then there are the National Teams and teams from other countries."

"I've heard about the Wimbourne Wasps, I read it in my Quidditch book."

"Yeah, they're pretty good..."

The conversation continued for a large part of the journey. Hermione eventually got bored and hook up a conversation with Amara.

Soon they arrived at Kings Cross and had to get out. They spilled onto the platform eagerly, chattering about Christmas. Amara said goodbye to Dean, Seamus and Neville and her and Hermione went through the barrier to find their families waiting for them. Amara hadn't taken her whole trunk home, but only a bag, which she intended to put more stuff in to take back to Hogwarts to make her room more lively (apart from the mess).

"Amara!" her mother said happily, giving her a hug. "How have you been? We've all missed you so much!"

Amara smiled. "I missed you too!"

They said goodbye to the Grangers, who Amara introduced, and headed towards their car, Tessie and Ethan asking question after question.

Amara sighed: it really was a nice thing to be home.


	9. Christmas at Home

**_A/N Sorry, this is a tiny chapter:/ only 1,454 words, sorry, maybe I'll do a double update or something Disclaimer: NOT MINE_**

**_Chapter Nine_**

**_Christmas at Home_**

Amara spent as much time as she could with her siblings in the Holidays, there was just enough snow left for them to have snowball fights and make a Tessie-sized snowman (or woman, as Tessie said). She made lots of Christmas things with her mum on Christmas Eve – cookies, gingerbread, cake. Her parents had managed to book ice skating tickets for them on Christmas Eve, so at half past six in the evening, Amara found herself clinging onto her dad's arm whist admiring the pretty Christmas lights that lit up the ice rink. She managed to get the hang of it eventually and actually had a lot of fun.

She woke early on Christmas morning, for Tessie was jumping on her bed.

"Father Christmas!" Tessie yelled "Father Christmas came in the night! Santa Claus! SANTA SANTA SANTA!"

"Calm _down _Tessie, you'll wake Mum and Dad up!" said Amara

"They're already up, I saw them, Mum's going to make muffins and scrambled eggs and salmon – I'm going to eat it _all!_"

Tessie then ran out the door. Ethan, who was laughing, got knocked over as she ran off down the stairs, making Amara laugh at him.

"She will eat it all, by the way," he said "She's got a really big appetite at the moment."

Then, he was gone, before Amara had a chance to get out before him. They all crowded on their parents' bed with their large stockings and starting un-wrapping the presents. 'Father Christmas' had got her a good load of small trinkets this year. Tessie was very excited and ate some of her chocolate she had got, which made her even more hyper. Her mother decided to go get some breakfast ready, so Amara helped her.

The whole family ate their breakfast in their pyjamas. Amara couldn't wait for later – her cousins, auntie and uncle and grandparents were coming over for Christmas lunch, which her mum was making.

Before they arrived, Amara, Ethan and Tessie played with their new things (they really only played with Tessie's new things) to keep them going.

Then, the doorbell rang, so Amara, in her new dress, went to get it.

"Amara!" squealed two voices, belonging to Sara and Poppy "We haven't seen you in _ages!" _

Amara greeted them and got them inside – her Aunt Sophia winking at her as she passed, and they went in to see the rest of the family.

By the time her grandparents had arrived, it was time for lunch. Amara ate so much she thought she was going to burst. Her mother had really gone all-out this year – a huge turkey, roast potatoes, carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, sprouts, peas, pigs in blankets, gravy, sweet potatoes…

They pulled crackers and wore their hats, laughing at the awful jokes that were in them. In all honesty, Amara forgot about Hogwarts for a while, and her magic.

Then came the pudding, which was a flaming Christmas pudding and cake and ice cream. They all sat in the lounge afterwards, watching a Christmas movie on TV. Amara had honestly missed the TV at Hogwarts (when she wasn't doing magic) and curled up into her father whilst her mum and auntie washed up in the kitchen.

"I need a drink, Amara, can you come with me?" asked Sara when the film ended.

Amara nodded and made her way to the kitchen, where the door was slightly open.

"You never told me your parents were magical," her mum was saying.

"I couldn't could I? You're a muggle, silly, and I didn't know Amara was a witch…"

Amara suddenly froze, for she remembered who she was with. She turned he head towards Sara.

Sara was staring at her with wide eyes and a shocked expression.

"Oh Sara, I –"

"A Witch?" asked Sara, with and odd expression on her face. "Is that where you went off too? Some weird witch-school?"

Amara nodded. "I –"

"I think we'd better ask mum to explain, shall we?" Sara said, motioning to the door.

It wasn't the best way to end Christmas Day, with your muggle cousin finding out you're a witch, but, Amara thought as she opened her presents from her family, it could've gone worse, as Sara accepted her as a witch and didn't run off like Amara had thought she would.

-OOOOOO-

The presents from her friends were nice too – she had even received a 'Weasley Jumper' (as Ron had written to her about) from Mrs Weasley, Ron's mum, because he had mentioned her in one of his letters. It was very cosy and was a nice sky-blue colour with gold sparkly bits.

From Hermione, she had got a chain and a small charm of a wand (they had made this decision together – Amara had gotten her one too, but her charm was a book) from Harry, she got a box of Chocolate frogs, from Ron, a book on The Chudley Cannons (which he was trying to persuade her to support).

Amara was starting to miss Hogwarts once Christmas was over, and couldn't wait to get back. She knew her parents thought it too, for they made plans to see family a lot over the next few days she had left (eventhough some family members were in France).

To make her not miss it anymore, Amara decided to read her school books and other books and to gain more information. She read _A History of Magic _thoroughly; because it was obvious she wouldn't ever be able to concentrate in the lesson otherwise.

Presently, she was sat on her windowsill waiting for Hermione to arrive, because she was going to stay at her house for the next three days before the term started again.

"MUUUM!" she yelled suddenly, making Tessie, who was waiting for her 'magical friend', jump so much she fell of the bed.

"THERE'S A CAR COMING UP THE DRIVE!"

"_Amara!"_ Tessie groaned "That hurt!"

"Sorry Tess," said Amara jumping off the bed. "C'mon, Hermione's here."

Once Amara had gone down stairs, she opened the door to find a grinning Hermione clutching a bag.

"Hello Amara!" she said.

"Hey, Hermione. Have a nice Christmas?" Amara asked, inviting her and her parents inside.

"Yes thanks, my grandmother came over from Wales to see us, it was really pleasant – oh, hello Mrs Matthews!"

Amara's mum had just come into the kitchen, where they were sitting at the breakfast table.

"What are you doing in here? Go into the lounge – oh hello Hermione, please dear, call me Bryony."

"Oh –okay," Hermione said uncertainly, making Amara snort.

"Amara, that's _very _un-ladylike – oh Dr Granger, and Dr Granger!" Mrs Matthews finished with a laugh "Would you like a cup of tea?"

Hermione's parents ended up staying all afternoon, and only said goodbye because the Grangers had to be somewhere the next day.

Once safe in Amara's room, Hermione turned around immediately.

"Have you found anything on Nicolas Flamel?" she asked eagerly.

"Of course not!" said Amara, surprised "I don't have the right books! Have you?"

"No!" said Hermione in frustration "_And _I've only been able to read a few books to see if he's in there!"

Amara shook her head in amusement. "Don't worry, Hermione, we'll find him eventually."

"D'you think the boys have found anything?"

"Pfft, you really think? After what I heard Fred and George saying about Hogwarts Christmases, I'm surprised if they'll be able to _walk _to the library."

"Oh," said Hermione in disappointment. "We'll just have to see when we get back."

"Who's Nicolas Flamel?"

"Tessie!" groaned Amara, turning to see Tessie and Ethan in the doorway "And Ethan! Go away! This is about school!"

"Who's Nicolas Flamel?" asked Tessie again, bypassing what Amara said.

"We don't know," said Hermione honestly "That's why we're talking about it, we need to find out what he has done."

"Why?"

"Because we heard his name at school about something important." said Amara.

Eventually, Tessie and Ethan managed to get the entire story out of Amara and Hermione – even the story of Fluffy. Hermione shouted down Amara's worries about her parents finding out by saying that it was very unlikely that they would believe a seven and nine year old go on about a huge _three-headed _dog, a mysterious package and a giant.

The next day they went to the cinema to watch _The Addams Family _as it was still in the cinema and Amara hadn't seen it yet.

As Mr and Mrs Matthews were having a lie-in, Amara and Hermione took Tessie and Ethan too, and treated them with popcorn and sweets.

"Thanks Mar-mar," said Tessie, munching happily.

"Your siblings are so cute," whispered Hermione to Amara as the adverts came on.

Amara snorted.

"Yeah, right,"


	10. Nicolas Flamel

**_A/N Disclaimer: All rights belong to J.K Rowling, and only the people who are not recognised in the HP books are mine:)_**

**_Chapter Ten_**

**_Nicolas Flamel_**

Amara and Hermione went back to school the day before term started, and Amara was rather cross at the story Harry had.

"You got an _invisibility cloak _for Christmas, which makes you _invisible _and the first time you use it you go to the _library! What?" _Amara said incredulously.

Harry looked shifty "Yes, well I thought it was a good idea to go the Restricted Section."

"Well," Amara said "At least you didn't get caught by Filch – three times in a row, my, _that _must be an achievement!"

Harry and Ron laughed, but Hermione looked stern.

"I can't believe you went out wandering for three nights in a row- when Filch was prowling – and you didn't find anything about Nicolas Flamel!"

"Oh Hermione, lighten _up, _it was the Christmas Holidays!"

They had practically given up finding Flamel now, eventhough Harry was insistent that he had read the name somewhere. They were back to only skimming books in break, with no hope to get information. He was driven out of their minds even more when Harry, a few weeks later, after a very muddy and wet Quidditch Practise (the weather had turned horrible) with horrible news.

Her, Ron and Hermione were sat in the common room, Ron and Hermione playing chess (which Hermione was awful at) whilst Amara watched, occasionally giving pointers to Hermione, as she used to play with her grandfather when she was younger. She didn't really help much, however, as the players didn't like her and _could move. _Harry, wet and splattered with mud, trooped into the common room with a pained expression on his face.

"What's up Harry?" Amara asked as he sat down.

"Snape's refereeing the next match," he said quietly.

"Don't play," said Hermione at once.

"Say you're ill," said Ron.

"_Really _get ill…" put in Amara

"Pretend to break your leg," Hermione suggested.

"Really break your leg," said Ron.

"… I heard Timothy Rogers in the year above has the flu…" Amara trailed off as harry shook his head.

"I can't," said Harry. "There isn't a reserve Seeker. If I back out, Gryffindor can't play at all."

At that moment Neville toppled into the common room. How he had managed to climb through the portrait hole was anyone's guess, because his legs had been stuck together with what they recognized at once as the Leg-Locker Curse. He must have had to bunny hop all the way up to Gryffindor tower.

Everyone fell over laughing except Hermione, who leapt up and performed the counter-curse. Neville's legs sprang apart and he got to his feet, trembling.

"What happened?" Hermione asked him, leading him over to sit with Harry and Ron.

"Malfoy," said Neville shakily. "I met him outside the library. He said he'd been looking for someone to practice that on."

"That _git!_" said Amara

"Go to Professor McGonagall!" Hermione urged Neville. "Report him!"

Neville shook his head.

"I don't want more trouble," he mumbled.

"Trouble?" Amara said "That was _bullying _Neville!"

"You've got to stand up to him, Neville!" said Ron. "He's used to walking all over people, but that's no reason to lie down in front of him and make it easier."

"There's no need to tell me I'm not brave enough to be in Gryffindor, Malfoy's already done that," Neville choked out. Amara winced in sympathy.

Harry gave him a Chocolate Frog from his pocket and gave it to Neville, who looked as though he was going to cry.

"You're worth twelve of Malfoy," Harry said. "The Sorting Hat chose you for Gryffindor, didn't it? And where's Malfoy? In stinking Slytherin."

Neville's lips twitched in a weak smile as he unwrapped the frog. Amara gave him a one-armed squeeze.

"Thanks, Harry... I think I'll go to bed... D'you want the card, you collect them, don't you?"

As Neville walked away, Harry looked at the Famous Wizard card.

"Dumbledore again," he said, "He was the first one I ever - "

He gasped. He stared at the back of the card. Then he looked up at Amara, Ron and Hermione.

"I've found him!" he whispered. "I've found Flamel! I told you I'd read the name somewhere before, I read it on the train coming here - listen to this: _'Dumbledore is particularly famous for his defeat of the dark wizard Grindelwald in 1945, for the discovery of the twelve uses of dragon's blood, and his work on alchemy with his partner, Nicolas Flamel'!"_

Hermione jumped to her feet. She hadn't looked so excited since they'd gotten back the marks for their very first piece of homework.

"Stay there!" she said, and she sprinted up the stairs to the girls' dormitories. Amara had about time to blink before she came dashing back, with an enormous old book in her arms.

"I never thought to look in here!" she whispered excitedly. "I got this out of the library weeks ago for a bit of light reading."

"Light?" chorused Amara and Ron, but Hermione told them to be quiet until she'd looked something up, and started flicking frantically through the pages, muttering to herself.

At last she found what she was looking for. Amara was getting slightly impatient.

"I knew it! I knew it!"

"Are we allowed to speak yet?" said Ron grumpily. Hermione ignored him.

"Care to elaborate?"

"Nicolas Flamel," she whispered dramatically, "is the only known maker of the

_Philosopher's Stone_!"

Amara looked back blackly

"The what?" said Harry and Ron as Amara said "Huh?".

"Oh, honestly, don't you lot read? Look - read that, there."

She pushed the book toward them, and Harry and Ron read:

_The ancient study of alchemy is concerned with making the Philosopher's Stone, a legendary substance with astonishing powers. The stone will transform any metal into pure gold. It also produces the Elixir of Life, which will make the drinker immortal. There have been many reports of the Sorcerer's Stone over the centuries, but the only Stone currently in existence belongs to Mr. Nicolas Flamel, the noted alchemist and opera lover. Mr. Flamel, who celebrated his six hundred and sixty-fifth birthday last year, enjoys a quiet life in Devon with his wife, Perenelle (six hundred and fifty-eight)._

"See?" said Hermione, when Harry and Ron had finished. "The dog must be guarding Flamel's Philosopher's Stone! I bet he asked Dumbledore to keep it safe for him, because they're friends and he knew someone was after it, that's why he wanted the Stone moved out of Gringotts!"

"A stone that makes gold and stops you from ever dying!" said Harry. "No wonder Snape's after it! Anyone would want it."

"And no wonder we couldn't find Flamel in that Study of Recent Developments in Wizardry," said Ron. "He's not exactly recent if he's six hundred and sixty-five, is he?"

The next morning in Defence Against the Dark Arts, while copying down different ways of treating werewolf bites, Harry and Ron were still discussing what they'd do with a Philosopher's Stone if they had one. Amara joined in to, happily discussing buying an island if she did. It wasn't until Ron said he'd buy his own Quidditch team that Harry seemed to remember about Snape and the coming match.

"I'm going to play," he told them. "If I don't, all the Slytherins will think I'm just too scared to face Snape. I'll show them... it'll really wipe the smiles off their faces if we win."

"Just as long as we're not wiping you off the field," said Hermione grimly.

"You'll be fine," said Amara "He can't do anything, he's a teacher…"

As the match drew nearer, however, Harry seemed to become more and more nervous, whatever he told Amara, Ron and Hermione. Amara was nervous too – what was Snape trying to do?

Whilst Wood was giving Harry loads of practise, Amara, Ron and Hermione practised the leg-locker curse that Malfoy used.

"See, I wouldn't normally do something Malfoy does, but seeing as this is a great opportunity to hex Snape…" Amara said, making Ron laugh.

"Only do it if he does something, Amara!" snapped Hermione, "Now do it again – remember – _Locomotor Mortis!"_

On the day of the match they sat next to Neville in the stands, who looked rather scared at the expression on their faces.

"Remember, its _locomotor mortis!" _whispered Hermione.

"We _know,_" Amara said grumpily, for this was the tenth time she had reminded them.

"Don't nag," said Ron.

The players marched onto the field, led by Snape.

"God, he looked positively _murderous,_" Amara commented, for Snape looked fuming.

"Ouch!" came Ron's voice from next to her. She turned to see Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle behind them.

"Oh, sorry, Weasley, didn't see you there."

Malfoy grinned broadly at Crabbe and Goyle.

"Wonder how long Potter's going to stay on his broom this time? Anyone want a bet? What about you, Weasley?"

Ron didn't answer; Snape had just awarded Hufflepuff a penalty because George Weasley had hit a Bludger at him. Hermione, who had all her fingers crossed in her lap, was squinting fixedly at Harry, who was circling the game like a hawk, looking for the Snitch. Amara was looking at Snape intently.

"You know how I think they choose people for the Gryffindor team?" said Malfoy loudly a few minutes later, as Snape awarded Hufflepuff another penalty for no reason at all. "Its people they feel sorry for. See, there's Potter, who's got no parents, then there's the Weasleys, who've got no money - you should be on the team, Longbottom, you've got no brains."

Neville went bright red but turned in his seat to face Malfoy.

"I'm worth twelve of you, Malfoy," he stammered.

Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle howled with laughter, but Ron, still not daring to take his eyes from the game, said, "You tell him, Neville." and Amara nodded her head.

"Longbottom, if brains were gold you'd be poorer than Weasley, and that's saying something."

Ron's nerves were already stretched to the breaking point with anxiety about Harry.

"I'm warning you, Malfoy - one more word!"

"Look!" said Hermione suddenly, "Harry -"

"What? Where?"

"Huh?"

Harry had suddenly gone into a spectacular dive, which drew gasps and cheers from the crowd. Hermione stood up, her crossed fingers in her mouth, as Harry streaked toward the ground like a bullet.

"You're in luck, Weasley, Potter's obviously spotted some money on the ground!" said Malfoy.

Amara saw Ron clamber over the bench and wrestling Malfoy to the floor. Neville, after a second, went to help. Amara was torn, she was whooping Harry and Ron on at the same time.

"Come on, Harry!" Hermione screamed, leaping onto her seat to watch as Harry sped straight at Snape - she didn't even notice Malfoy and Ron rolling around under her seat, or the scuffles and yelps coming from the whirl of fists that was Neville, Crabbe, and Goyle.

Up in the air, Snape turned on his broomstick just in time to see something scarlet shoot past him, missing him by inches - the next second, Harry had pulled out of the dive, his arm raised in triumph, the Snitch clasped in his hand.

Amara, seeing that the stands were erupting, turned around and hexed Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle with the Leg-Locker curse before they could do any more damage – as Neville was already knocked out.

Grinning, she turned and hugged Hermione, who was still cheering and obviously oblivious to the three struggling Slytherins and a laughing Ron.

Harry had caught the Snitch in record time – and Amara couldn't wait to celebrate.

"C'mon," she said, helping Ron up. "Let's go back to the common room and wait for Harry."

They cheered for Harry as he got lifted up on other Gryffindor's shoulders, jumping up and down in excitement – Amara had enjoyed the game, eventhough it only lasted for five minutes.

Amara, Hermione and Ron, who was supporting a heavy nosebleed, hurried back to the common room, filling in on what Hermione had missed, after they had taken Neville to the Hospital Wing, because he was still out of it.

It took at least another hour for Harry to turn up, by that time, Hermione was in a panic.

"Harry, where have you _been?_" she squeaked as he came into the common room.

"We won! You won! We won!" Ron shouted happily "And I gave Malfoy a black eye, Amara hexed them and Neville took on Crabbe and Goyle! He's still out cold, but Madam Pomfrey says he'll be all right - talk about showing Slytherin! Everyone's waiting for you in the common room, we're having a party, Fred and George stole some cakes and stuff from the kitchens."

"Never mind that now," said Harry breathlessly. "Let's find an empty room, you wait 'til you hear this..."

He made sure Peeves wasn't inside before shutting the door behind them, then he told them what he'd seen and heard.

"So we were right, it _is_ the Philosopher's Stone, and Snape's trying to force Quirrell to help him get it. He asked if he knew how to get past Fluffy - and he said something about Quirrell's 'hocus pocus - I reckon there are other things guarding the stone apart from Fluffy, loads of enchantments, probably, and Quirrell would have done some anti-Dark Arts spell that Snape needs to break through - "

"So you mean the Stone's only safe as long as Quirrell stands up to Snape?" said Hermione in alarm.

"It'll be gone by next Tuesday," said Ron.

Amara nodded, a sense of dread overpowering her joy.


	11. Norbert the Norwegian Ridgeback

**_A/N Enjoy!_**

**_Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of it's rights. It belongs to J K Rowling, Warner Bros. and any other affiliations. _**

**_Chapter Eleven_**

**_Norbert the Norwegian Ridgeback_**

However it didn't seem Quirrell had given in just yet – in the weeks that followed the match, he just seemed to get paler and thinner.

When passing Fluffy on the third floor, they always checked to see if Fluffy was still growling. Snape was in a bad temper as usual, so that was another sign of positivity. Harry seemed to smile at Quirrell every time they passed, and Ron told people off for laughing at his stutter, which Amara found quite hypocritical, because she had heard him do just that.

Hermione, however, had a different mind-set, which were exams. She had drawn up a revision time-tables and colour-coding her notes. Amara wouldn't have been bothered by it, if she hadn't taken all _her _notes and colour-coded all of them as well.

"_Hermione!_" Amara said, when she saw them "Don't just _do _that!"

Ron, who had been laughing at her misfortune piped up too "The exams are ages away anyways, stop nagging."

"Ten weeks," snapped Hermione "That's not ages, that's like a second to Nicolas Flamel."

"Luckily, we're not six hundred and something years old." Amara said.

"You already know it all anyway – what are you studying for?" said Ron

"What am I studying for? Are you crazy? You realise we need to pass these exams to get into the second year? They're very important, I should have started studying a month ago, I don't know what's gotten into me..."

Unluckily, Hermione had the same mind-set as the teachers, who piled them up with so much homework the Easter Holidays weren't very fun at all. They spent most of their time in the library, moaning and yawning, where Hermione was reciting the twelve uses of Dragon's blood (which Amara knew, because of the homework that was set ages ago.) or practising the correct wrist movements for certain spells.

"I'll never remember this," Ron burst out one afternoon, throwing down his quill and looking longingly out of the library window. It was the first really fine day they'd had in months. The sky was a clear, forget-me-not blue, and there was a feeling in the air of summer coming.

Amara didn't look up, for she was engrossed in reading about Eric the Oddball or Evil or something (which she found boring, because she could never remember his name, nor could the textbook, apparently, because she swore it was Evil a minute ago). She did stop however, when Ron, who was using all the excuse not to work, said 'Hagrid! What are you doing in the library?"

She looked up in surprise, for Hagrid was very oversized and large for the muffled library, and it didn't help that he had something behind his back.

"Jus' lookin'," he said, in a shifty voice that got their interest at once. "An' what're you lot up ter?" He looked suddenly suspicious. "Yer not still lookin' fer Nicolas Flamel, are yeh?"

"Of course not!" Amara said "_We _found him _ages _ago."

"_And _we know what the dog is guarding, it's a Philosp- OUCH!" Ron glared at Amara, who had hit him around the head with her history book.

"Shut up!" she hissed "Someone will hear!"

"There are a few things we wanted to ask you, as a matter of fact," said Harry, "about what's guarding the Stone apart from Fluffy – oww Amara!" Amara rolled her eyes.

"SHHHH!" said Hagrid. "Listen - come an' see me later, I'm not promisin' I'll tell yeh anythin', mind, but don' go rabbitin' about it in here, students aren' s'pposed ter know. They'll think I've told yeh - -"

"See you later, then," said Harry.

Hagrid shuffled off.

"What was he hiding behind his back?" said Hermione thoughtfully.

"Do you think it had anything to do with the Stone?"

"Nah," said Amara, as Ron went to see which section he was in. He came back with a pile of books.

"Dragons!" he whispered. "Hagrid was looking up stuff about dragons! Look at these: _Dragon Species of Great Britain and Ireland; From Egg to Inferno, A Dragon Keeper's Guide."_

"Hagrid's always wanted a dragon, he told me so the first time I ever met him," said Harry.

"But it's against our laws," said Ron. "Dragon breeding was outlawed by the Warlocks' Convention of 1709, everyone knows that. It's hard to stop Muggles from noticing us if we're keeping dragons in the back garden - anyway, you can't tame dragons, it's dangerous. You should see the burns Charlie's got off wild ones in Romania."

"But there aren't wild dragons in _Britain_?" said Harry.

"Of course there are," said Ron. "Common Welsh Green and Hebridean Blacks. The Ministry of Magic has a job hushing them up, I can tell you. Our kind have to keep putting spells on Muggles who've spotted them, to make them forget."

"So what on earth's Hagrid up to?" said Hermione.

-OOOOOO-

They hurried down to Hagrid's hut an hour later, and knocked on the door. The curtains were closed and Hagrid asked who it was before he let them in.

It was boiling inside the hut; Amara had to take her jacket off quickly. It was a lovely warm day outside, but Hagrid had a blazing fire on.

"So – yer wanted to ask me somethin'?" he said.

"Yeah," said Amara immediately "What's guarding the Stone – apart from Fluffy, I mean."

Hagrid frowned at her.

"I can't tell yer tha'," he said. "Number one, I don' know meself. Number two, yeh know too much already, so I wouldn' tell yeh if I could. That Stone's here fer a good reason. It Was almost stolen outta Gringotts - I s'ppose yeh've worked that out an' all? Beats me how yeh even know abou' Fluffy."

"Oh, come on, Hagrid, you might not want to tell us, but you do know, you know everything that goes on round here," said Hermione in a warm, flattering voice. Hagrid's beard twitched and they could tell he was smiling. "We only wondered who had done the guarding, really." Hermione went on. "We wondered who Dumbledore had trusted enough to help him, apart from you."

Hagrid's chest swelled at these last words. Harry and Ron beamed at Hermione.

"Well, I don' s'pose it could hurt ter tell yeh that... let's see... he borrowed Fluffy from me... then some o' the teachers did enchantments... Professor Sprout - Professor Flitwick - Professor McGonagall - - " he ticked them off on his fingers, "Professor Quirrell - an' Dumbledore himself did somethin', o' course. Hang on, I've forgotten someone. Oh yeah, Professor Snape."

_"Snape?"_

"Yeah - yer not still on abou' that, are yeh? Look, Snape helped _protect_ the Stone, he's not about ter steal it."

Amara felt a little sick at these words. If Snape had been in on protecting the Stone, it must have been easy to find out how the other teachers had guarded it. He probably knew everything - except, it seemed, Quirrell's spell and how to get past Fluffy.

"You're the only one who knows how to get past Fluffy, aren't you, Hagrid?" said Harry anxiously. "And you wouldn't tell anyone, would you? Not even one of the teachers?"

"Not a soul knows except me an' Dumbledore," said Hagrid proudly.

"Well, that's something," Harry muttered to the others. "Hagrid, can we have a window open? I'm boiling."

"Can't, Harry, sorry," said Hagrid. He glanced at the fire. Harry looked at it, too.

"Hagrid - what's that?"

In the very heart of the fire, underneath the kettle, was a huge, black egg. Amara knew what it was – why else would Hagrid be in the library?

"Ah," said Hagrid, fiddling nervously with his beard, "That's er..."

"Where did you get it, Hagrid?" said Ron, crouching over the fire to get a closer look at the egg. "It must've cost you a fortune."

"Won it," said Hagrid. "Las' night. I was down in the village havin' a few drinks an' got into a game o' cards with a stranger. Think he was quite glad ter get rid of it, ter be honest."

"But what are you going to do with it when it's hatched?" said Hermione.

"Well, I've bin doin' some readin', said Hagrid, pulling a large book from under his pillow. "Got this outta the library - Dragon Breeding for Pleasure and Profit - it's a bit outta date, o' course, but it's all in here. Keep the egg in the fire, 'cause their mothers breathe on I em, see, an' when it hatches, feed it on a bucket o' brandy mixed with chicken blood every half hour. An' see here - how ter recognize diffrent eggs - what

I got there's a Norwegian Ridgeback. They're rare, them."

He looked very pleased with himself, but Hermione didn't.

"Hagrid, you live in a _wooden house_," she said.

But Hagrid wasn't listening. He was humming merrily as he stoked the fire.

-OOOOOO-

So now they had something else to worry about: what might happen to Hagrid if anyone found out he was hiding an illegal dragon in his hut.

"Wonder what it's like to have a peaceful life," Ron sighed, as evening after evening they struggled through all the extra homework they were getting. Hermione had now started making revision time-tables for Harry and Ron, as she had already made Amara one, much to her annoyance. It was driving them mad.

Then, one breakfast time, Hedwig brought Harry another note from Hagrid. He had written only two words: _It's hatching_.

Ron wanted to skip Herbology and go straight down to the hut. Amara whole-heartedly agreed, but Hermione wouldn't hear of it.

"Hermione, how many times in our lives are we going to see a dragon hatching?"

"Yeah, c'mon Hermione – it's _one lesson!" _

"We've got lessons, we'll get into trouble, and that's nothing to what Hagrid's going to be in when someone finds out what he's doing - - "

"Shut up!" Harry whispered.

Harry was staring at someone a few feet away, and Amara saw that it was Malfoy. How much had he heard?

Amara and Ron kept arguing their case all the way to Herbology, so Hermione agreed to run down to his hut at break to see, leaving Amara and Ron grinning.

As soon as the bell went, they practically ran out of the greenhouse and down to Hagrid's hut. Hagrid greeted them, looking flushed and excited.

"It's nearly out." He ushered them inside.

The egg was on the table. There were some deep cracks in it. Something was moving inside; a funny clicking noise was coming from it.

They all drew their chairs up to the table and watched with bated breath.

All at once there was a scraping noise and the egg split open. The baby dragon flopped onto the table. It wasn't exactly pretty, Amara thought; it kind of looked like a crumpled, black umbrella. Its spiny wings were huge compared to its skinny jet body; it had a long snout with wide nostrils, the stubs of horns and bulging, orange eyes.

It sneezed. A couple of sparks flew out of its snout.

"Isn't he _beautiful?"_ Hagrid murmured. He reached out a hand to stroke the dragon's head. It snapped at his fingers, showing pointed fangs. Amara decided that was a matter of opinion, for if she could say anything, she would have pointed out that it looked very crumpled.

"Bless him, look, he knows his mummy!" said Hagrid.

"Hagrid," said Hermione, "how fast do Norwegian Ridgebacks grow, exactly?"

Hagrid was about to answer when the colour suddenly drained from his face - he leapt to his feet and ran to the window.

"What's the matter?"

"Someone was lookin' through the gap in the curtains - it's a kid - he's runnin' back up ter the school."

Harry and Amara bolted to the door and looked out. Even at a distance there was no mistaking him.

Malfoy had seen the dragon.

-OOOOOO-

Something about the smile lurking on Malfoy's face during the next week made Amara, Harry, Ron, and Hermione very nervous. They spent most of their free time in Hagrid's darkened hut, trying to reason with him.

"Just let him go," Harry urged. "Set him free."

"I can't," said Hagrid. "He's too little. He'd die."

They looked at the dragon. It had grown three times in length in just a week. Smoke kept furling out of its nostrils. Hagrid hadn't been doing his game keeping duties because the dragon was keeping him so busy. There were empty brandy bottles and chicken feathers all over the floor.

"If wild ones can do it, why can't he?" Amara said.

Hagrid waved his hand off.

"But he's not wild though, is he? I've decided to call him Norbert," said Hagrid, looking at the dragon with misty eyes. "He really knows me now, watch. Norbert! Norbert! Where's Mummy?"

"He's lost his marbles," Ron muttered.

"Hagrid," said Harry loudly, "give it two weeks and Norbert's going to be as long as your house. Malfoy could go to Dumbledore at any moment."

Hagrid bit his lip.

"I - I know I can't keep him forever, but I can't jus' dump him, I can't."

"But what about Malfoy? Maybe you could give it to him as a present?" said Amara unhelpfully.

Harry suddenly turned to Ron.

"Charlie," he said.

"You're losing it, too," said Ron. "I'm Ron, remember?"

"No - Charlie - your brother, Charlie. In Romania. Studying dragons. We could send Norbert to him. Charlie can take care of him and then put him back in the wild!"

"Brilliant!" said Ron. "How about it, Hagrid?"

And in the end, Hagrid agreed that they could send an owl to Charlie to ask him.

The following week dragged by. Wednesday night found Amara, Hermione and Harry sitting alone in the common room, long after everyone else had gone to bed. The clock on the wall had just chimed midnight when the portrait hole burst open. Ron appeared out of nowhere as he pulled off Harry's invisibility cloak. He had been down at Hagrid's hut, helping him feed Norbert, who was now eating dead rats by the crate.

"It bit me!" he said, showing them his hand, which was wrapped in a bloody handkerchief. "I'm not going to be able to hold a quill for a week. I tell you, that dragon's the most horrible animal I've ever met, but the way Hagrid goes on about it, you'd think it was a fluffy little bunny rabbit. When it bit me he told me off for frightening it. And when I left, he was singing it a lullaby."

There was a tap on the dark window.

"It's Hedwig!" said Harry, hurrying to let her in. "She'll have Charlie's answer!"

The four of them put their heads together to read the note.

_Dear Ron,_

_How are you? Thanks for the letter - I'd be glad to take the Norwegian Ridgeback, but it won't be easy getting him here. I think the best thing will be to send him over with some friends of mine who are coming to visit me next week. Trouble is, they mustn't be seen carrying an illegal dragon._

_Could you get the Ridgeback up the tallest tower at midnight on Saturday? They can meet you there and take him away while it's still dark._

_Send me an answer as soon as possible._

_Love,_

_Charlie_

They looked at one another.

"We've got the invisibility cloak," said Harry. "It shouldn't be too difficult - I think the cloaks big enough to cover two of us and Norbert."

It was a mark of how bad the last week had been that they agreed with him. Anything to get rid of Norbert - and Malfoy.

There was a hitch. By the next morning, Ron's bitten hand had swollen to twice its usual size. He didn't know whether it was safe to go to Madam Pomfrey - would she recognize a dragon bite? By the afternoon, though, he had no choice. The cut had turned a nasty shade of green. It looked as if Norbert's fangs were poisonous.

Amara, Harry and Hermione rushed up to the hospital wing at the end of the day to find Ron in a terrible state in bed.

"It's not just my hand," he whispered, "although that feels like it's about to fall off. Malfoy told Madam Pomfrey he wanted to borrow one of my books so he could come and have a good laugh at me. He kept threatening to tell her what really bit me - I've told her it was a dog, but I don't think she believes me -I shouldn't have hit him at the Quidditch match, that's why he's doing this."

Amara, Harry and Hermione tried to calm Ron down.

"It'll all be over at midnight on Saturday," said Hermione, but this didn't soothe Ron at all. On the contrary, he sat bolt upright and broke into a sweat.

"Midnight on Saturday!" he said in a hoarse voice. "Oh no oh no - I've just remembered - Charlie's letter was in that book Malfoy took, he's going to know we're getting rid of Norbert."

Amara, Harry and Hermione didn't get a chance to answer. Madam Pomfrey came over at that moment and made them leave, saying Ron needed sleep.

-OOOOOO-

"It's too late to change the plan now," Harry told them. "We haven't got time to send Charlie another owl, and this could be our only chance to get rid of Norbert. We'll have to risk it. And we have got the invisibility cloak, Malfoy doesn't know about that."

They found Fang, the boarhound, sitting outside with a bandaged tail when they went to tell Hagrid, who opened a window to talk to them.

"I won't let you in," he puffed. "Norbert's at a tricky stage - nothin' I can't handle."

When they told him about Charlie's letter, his eyes filled with tears, although that might have been because Norbert had just bitten him on the leg.

"Aargh! It's all right, he only got my boot - jus' playin' - he's only a baby, after all."

The baby banged its tail on the wall, which shook the whole house. Amara had the feeling Saturday couldn't come quickly enough as they walked back.

-OOOOOO-

They had decided that Harry and Hermione would take Norbert up to the Astronomy Tower, as Amara hadn't really wanted to go (who wanted to take a dragon all the way up those stairs, at midnight, with the trouble of keeping the Invisibility Cloak on?)

She was just waiting inside the common room when she saw Neville run up to her.

"I heard that Malfoy knows about a Dragon or something – I have to –" he panted before sprinting away again.

Amara froze in shock at his words. Malfoy had obviously been speaking very loudly about the fact that Norbert was going to be taken away tonight. Amara got up to chase after Neville – she _couldn't _get him caught out like this. Poor boy, always stumbling around.

She ran out of the common room hastily, leaving her stuff at a table in the corner. She ran the length of the seventh floor, hoping to find Harry and Hermione to warn them.

She was breathing heavily as she turned the corner, she was nearly there when she ran headlong into something solid. Picking herself off the floor, she looked up to see Professor McGonagall glaring down at her with Neville at her side. She paled and gulped.

"Follow me, Miss Matthews." she said curtly and dragged Neville and Amara with her down to the first floor. Things were not going well.


	12. The Forbidden Forest

**_Chapter Twelve_**

**_The Forbidden Forest_**

"We didn't want you to find out, Neville," Amara whispered, for Neville looked terrified as they walked along the first floor. "Don't worry – _Harry? Hermione?" _they had walked into McGonagall's study to find Harry and Hermione sitting down, looking petrified too.

Professor McGonagall glared as she heard Amara, and towered over all of them, ready to explode.

"I would never have believed it of any of you. Mr Filch says you were up in the astronomy tower. It's one o'clock in the morning. _Explain yourselves_."

Amara gulped and looked at Hermione, who was unable to say anything.

"I – we – Professor, it's not Neville's fault, we didn't mean for him to -"

But McGonagall cut her off.

"Be that as it may, Mr Longbottom was still out of bed after hours, _and _it was obvious why Mr Malfoy was too. You fed Draco Malfoy a cock-and-bull story about a dragon, trying to get him out of bed and into trouble. I've already caught him. Did you think it was funny to find Longbottom too?"

Amara could not say anything – would she be kicked out? Would she have to go and live as a muggle again, not able to use magic?

"I'm disgusted," said Professor McGonagall. "Five students out of bed in one night! I've never heard of such a thing before! You, Miss Granger, I thought you had more sense. As for you, Mr Potter, I thought Gryffindor meant more to you than this. All four of you will receive detentions - yes, you too, Mr Longbottom, _nothing_ gives you the right to walk around school at night, especially these days, it's very dangerous - and fifty points will be taken from Gryffindor."

"_Fifty?"_ Harry gasped and Amara gulped.

"Fifty points _each_," said Professor McGonagall, breathing heavily through her long, pointed nose. Amara gasped.

"Professor – please!" she said

"You can't -"

"Don't tell me what I can and can't do, Potter. Now get back to bed, all of you. I've never been more ashamed of Gryffindor students."

A two hundred points lost. That put Gryffindor in last place. In one night, they'd ruined any chance Gryffindor had had for the house cup.

Amara didn't sleep much that night, she heard Hermione sniffling in her bed and wanted dreadfully to go and comfort her, but she didn't know how.

At first, Gryffindors passing the giant hourglasses that recorded the house points the next day thought there'd been a mistake. How could they suddenly have a two hundred points fewer than yesterday? And then the story started to spread: Harry Potter, the famous Harry Potter, their hero of two Quidditch matches, had lost them all those points, him and a couple of other stupid first years.

It didn't seem like Harry was famous anymore, everyone had turned on him – even the Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws, for they wanted Slytherin not to get the cup as much as Gryffindor.

Amara was suffering too, not as much, of course, than Harry, because she wasn't as well known, but suffering none the less. Hermione had stopped asking questions in class and Harry had offered to resign from Quidditch, which didn't go down well.

Ron, thankfully, stood by them, so they stuck together as their little group.

"You'd think the house cup wouldn't be that big of a deal," Amara said glumly at break one day "But it is."

"They'll forget it soon, Fred and George loose points all the time, and everyone likes them," said Ron

"Not _two hundred_," Amara said, bringing an end to the conversation.

Amara was actually glad that the exams weren't far away. All the revision they did kept them occupied. They kept to themselves, working late into the night, trying to remember the ingredients in complicated potions, learn charms and spells by heart, memorize the dates of magical discoveries and goblin rebellions...

Amara was in the library with Ron and Hermione, being tested on Astronomy (which Amara had made a tally of how many points she had Ron had each got – she was winning) when Harry came in and told them of what he had heard Quirrell and Snape talk about.

"Snape's done it, then!" said Ron. "If Quirrell's told him how to break his Anti-Dark Force spell - "

"There's still Fluffy, though," said Hermione.

"Maybe Snape's found out how to get past him without asking Hagrid," said Ron, looking up at the thousands of books surrounding them. "I bet there's a book somewhere in here telling you how to get past a giant three-headed dog. So what do we do, Harry?"

Amara looked up at Harry, but Hermione answered first.

"Go to Dumbledore. That's what we should have done ages ago. If we try anything ourselves we'll be thrown out for sure."

"But we don't know!" Amara butted in.

"Exactly - we've got no proof!" said Harry. "Quirrell's too scared to back us up. Snape's only got to say he doesn't know how the troll got in at Halloween and that he was nowhere near the third floor - who do you think they'll believe, him or us? It's not exactly a secret we hate him, Dumbledore'll think we made it up to get him sacked. Filch wouldn't help us if his life depended on it, he's too friendly with Snape, and the more students get thrown out, the better, he'll think. And don't forget, we're not supposed to know about the Stone or Fluffy. That'll take a lot of explaining."

Amara bit her lip in thought.

"If we just do a bit of poking around - " said Ron.

"No," said Harry flatly, "We've done enough poking around."

He pulled a map of Jupiter toward him and started to learn the names of its moons. Leaving Amara and Ron to discuss what Snape would do (as they didn't want to study anymore.

-OOOOOO-

The next morning, Amara received a note like Harry, Hermione and Neville. She had actually forgotten her detention, but remembered it when she read the letter.

_Your detention will take place at eleven o'clock tonight. Meet Mr. Filch in the entrance hall._

_ Professor McGonagall _

They left the common room at eleven that night – saying goodnight to Ron – and went to the Entrance Hall with Neville. Malfoy was already there with Filch.

"Follow me," said Filch, lighting a lamp and leading them outside. "I bet you'll think twice about breaking a school rule again, won't you, eh?" he said, leering at them. "Oh yes... hard work and pain are the best teachers if you ask me... It's just a pity they let the old punishments die out... hang you by your wrists from the ceiling for a few days, I've got the chains still in my office, keep 'em well-oiled in case they're ever needed... Right, off we go, and don't think of running off, now, it'll be worse for you if you do."

They marched off across the dark grounds. Amara was getting nervous – Filch seemed to be really happy, not a very good sign. Neville was sniffing next to her and she wanted to tell him to shut up, but felt bad.

The moon was bright, but clouds scudding across it kept throwing them into darkness. Ahead, they could see the lighted windows of Hagrid's hut. Then they heard a distant shout.

"Is that you, Filch? Hurry up, I want ter get started."

"I suppose you think you'll be enjoying yourself with that oaf?" said Filch, seeing a happy look pass across Harry's face. "Well, think again, boy - it's into the forest you're going and I'm much mistaken if you'll all come out in one piece."

At this, Neville let out a little moan, and Malfoy stopped dead in his tracks.

"The forest?" he repeated, and he didn't sound quite as cool as usual. "We can't go in there at night - there's all sorts of things in there - werewolves, I heard."

Neville clutched the sleeve of Harry's robe and made a choking noise.

"That's your problem, isn't it?" said Filch, his voice cracking with glee. "Should've thought of them werewolves before you got in trouble, shouldn't you?"

Hagrid came striding toward them out of the dark, Fang at his heel. He was carrying his large crossbow, and a quiver of arrows hung over his shoulder.

"Abou' time," he said. "I bin waitin' fer half an hour already. All right, Harry, Hermione - Amara?"

"I shouldn't be too friendly to them, Hagrid," said Filch coldly, they're here to be punished, after all."

"That's why yer late, is it?" said Hagrid, frowning at Filch. "Bin lecturin' them, eh? 'Snot your place ter do that. Yeh've done yer bit, I'll take over from here."

"I'll be back at dawn," said Filch, "for what's left of them," he added nastily, and he turned and started back toward the castle, his lamp bobbing away in the darkness.

Malfoy now turned to Hagrid.

"I'm not going in that forest, he said, with a note of panic in his voice.

"Yeh are if yeh want ter stay at Hogwarts," said Hagrid fiercely. "Yeh've done wrong an' now yeh've got ter pay fer it."

"But this is servant stuff, it's not for students to do. I thought we'd be copying lines or something, if my father knew I was doing this, he'd tell yer that's how it is at Hogwarts," Hagrid growled. "Copyin' lines! What good's that ter anyone? Yeh'll do summat useful or Yeh'll get out. If yeh think yer father'd rather you were expelled, then get back off ter the castle an' pack. Go on"'

Malfoy didn't move. He looked at Hagrid furiously, but then dropped his gaze.

"Right then," said Hagrid, "now, listen carefully, 'cause it's dangerous what we're gonna do tonight, an' I don' want no one takin' risks. Follow me over here a moment."

He led them to the very edge of the forest. Holding his lamp up high, he pointed down a narrow, winding earth track that disappeared into the thick black trees. A light breeze lifted their hair as they looked into the forest.

"Look there," said Hagrid, "see that stuff shinin' on the ground? Silvery stuff? That's unicorn blood. There's a unicorn in there bin hurt badly by summat. This is the second time in a week. I found one dead last Wednesday. We're gonna try an' find the poor thing. We might have ter put it out of its misery."

"And what if whatever hurt the unicorn finds us first?" said Malfoy, unable to keep the fear out of his voice.

"There's nothin' that lives in the forest that'll hurt yeh if yer with me or Fang," said Hagrid. "An' keep ter the path. Right, now, we're gonna split inter two parties an' follow the trail in diffrent directions. There's blood all over the place, it must've bin staggerin' around since last night at least."

Amara closed her eyes.

"I want Fang," said Malfoy quickly.

"All right, but I warn yeh, he's a coward," said Hagrid. " So me, Harry, an' Hermione'll go one way an' Draco, Neville, Amara an' Fang'll go the other. Now, if any of us finds the unicorn, we'll send up green sparks, right? Get yer wands out an' practice now - that's it - an' if anyone gets in trouble, send up red sparks, an' we'll all come an' find yeh - so, be careful - let's go."

They walked through the forest together until they reached a fork in the path.

"Good Luck," muttered Harry to Amara, before following Hagrid and Hermione down the left path.

Taking a deep breath, she followed Malfoy, Fang and Neville down the silent, black path.

She kept her eyes on the ground in front of her, looking for the patches of unicorn blood. They walked for what seemed like hours, jumping at sudden noises, their robes ripping on bushes. Fang was in the lead with Malfoy, who was looking rather scared. Neville was clutching onto Amara's robes, as she was in front of him.

"We shouldn't be doing this," Malfoy suddenly said "This _is_ servant stuff – finding a unicorn? What if the thing that hurt it finds _us _first?"

"Shut _up, _Malfoy, stop whining," snapped Amara, eventhough Malfoy had a point. "That's not the point – and you heard Hagrid, Fang'll save us _and _we did something wrong too – which, might I add, _you _didn't have to have, but you just HAD to pry, didn't you? You've always wanted to try and get Harry kicked out and look what's happened now!"

Malfoy just glared at her angrily. "At least – well, _you're _in trouble too!"

"What was that?" whispered Neville suddenly, successfully cutting Malfoy's whines off. Amara heard it too; a faint rustling was coming from their right.

"What d'you think – ARRRRRGHHHHHHHHHHH!" Neville screamed and Amara whipped round to find Neville cowering away from Malfoy, who was laughing. Red sparks had been shot up – Neville seemed to have panicked.

"You absolute GIT!" shouted Amara angrily "You had to take it out on Neville didn't you – you – you're so _stupid! _We're never going to find _anything _now after that!" Amara was so angry she walked up to him and slapped him across the face. Malfoy looked shocked, but had stopped laughing.

A sudden crashing came from their left. Hagrid came out of the bushes, crossbow raised.

"False alarm, Hagrid," Amara snapped, looking at Malfoy, "This git grabbed Neville as a joke."

Hagrid was fuming as he dragged Malfoy by his robes back to where Harry and Hermione were.

"Amara are you alright?" said Hermione worriedly

She nodded, "I slapped him," she whispered to Harry and Hermione after Hagrid had explained. Harry grinned at her.

"We'll be lucky ter catch anythin' now, with the racket you lot were makin'. Right, we're changin' groups – Neville and Amara, you stay with me an' Hermione, Harry, you go with Fang an' this idiot. I'm sorry," Hagrid added in a whisper to Harry, "but he'll have a harder time frightenin' you, an' we've gotta get this done."

So Amara set off with Hagrid, Hermione and Neville, after saying goodbye to Harry. They walked deep into the forest, but the unicorn must have gone a different way. They walked for at least another three quarters of an hour before anything happened. There was a loud yelling and Malfoy came running towards them, screaming, with Fang running behind.

"Wha's goin' on?" demanded Hagrid "Where's Harry?"

But Malfoy was obviously too scared to say anything.

"Hagrid, we _have _to see if Harry's OK!" Amara said, already running down the path Malfoy had come from.

Hermione ran with her too, with Hagrid puffing along with her.

At least twenty minutes later – after stopping a few times to get their breath back, they saw Harry talking and sitting on the back of a centaur – well, Amara thought it was a centaur, as she had read about them.

"Harry! Are you alright?" she said, running down the path.

"I'm fine," Harry said "The unicorn's dead, Hagrid, it's in the clearing back there."

Hagrid ran off to examine it.

"This is where I leave you," The centaur murmured "You are safe now."

Harry slid off his back.

"Good luck, Harry Potter," said the centaur. "The planets have been read wrongly before now, even by centaurs. I hope this is one of those times."

He turned and cantered back into the depths of the forest, leaving them looking back at his retreating figure.

-OOOOOO-

Ron was asleep by the time Amara, Harry and Hermione went back to the common room. He shouted something about Quidditch fouls before Harry could wake him up. Harry didn't give him any time to wake properly – he started explaining what happened in the forest, Amara and Hermione sitting down on the sofa.

Harry paced on the floor and carried on shaking. Amara wanted to ask if he was OK, but thought better of it.

"Snape wants the stone for Voldemort... and Voldemort's waiting in the Forest... and all this time we thought Snape just wanted to get rich..."

"Stop saying his name!" whispered Ron, looking terrified.

"It's just a name!" Amara whispered back.

Harry wasn't listening anyway.

"Firenze saved me, but he shouldn't have done... Bane was furious... he was talking about interfering with what the planets say is going to happen... They must show that Voldemort's coming back... Bane thinks Firenze should have let Voldemort kill me... I suppose that's written in the stars as well."

"Will you stop saying the name!" Ron hissed, Amara rolled her eyes.

"So all I've got to wait for now is Snape to steal the Stone," said Harry, not bothering to reply "then Voldemort will be able to come and finish me off... Well, I suppose Bane'll be happy."

Amara was glad that Hermione had some words of comfort, as Harry didn't.

"Harry, everyone says Dumbledore's the only one You-Know-Who was ever afraid of. With Dumbledore around, You-Know-Who won't touch you . Anyway, who says the centaurs are right? It sounds like fortune-telling to me, and Professor McGonagall says that's a very imprecise branch of magic."

The sky was turning light before they stopped talking; they went to bed exhausted with the night's events. Amara snuggled down into her bed, glad her detention was over.

Now all there was to worry about was Snape...


	13. Through the Trapdoor

**_A/N Pretty long chapter here, and the story has nearly finished - thanks for the review!:) I know people are 'viewing it' because there are over 1,000, but please review!:)_**

**_Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter_**

**_Chapter Thirteen_**

**_Through the Trapdoor_**

Snape somehow got to the back of Amara's mind when the exams started. Now she was filled up with dates and spells. Needless to say, she was rather excited to do MAGICAL exams and couldn't wait to get started.

They had written papers too, which wasn't that nice, considering it was sweltering hot inside the class room. They were given new Anti-Cheating quill especially for the papers.

The practical exams, apart from Potions, were much more fun. They had to make a pineapple tap dance across the table for Flitwick, turn a mouse into a snuff-box for McGonagall - she was pleased with Amara's snuff-box, because it had decorative sequins on it. Snape made them remember how to make a Forgetfulness Potion, whilst he intimidated them by breathing down their necks as they panicked internally.

Harry seemed to be more worried about the Stone than her, Ron and Hermione were. He was constantly rubbing his forehead where his scar was. Amara was more worried about her exams at that moment, as Hermione's words had comforted her in the thought that nobody would try and kill Harry whilst Dumbledore was there.

Their last exam was History of Magic, answering questions about batty old wizards who did odd things. Amara could hardly concentrate, but did her best, for after this they'd be free for a week until their results.

"That was far easier than I thought it was going to be," said Hermione afterwards "I needn't have learnt the 1637 Werewolf Code of Conduct or the uprising of Elfric the Eager."

"Speak for yourself," Amara said, rubbing her eyes "Who cares about a batty old loon anyway?"

Ron and Harry laughed, but Hermione looked affronted.

"Why of course it's important Amara!" she said "Elfric the Eager was..." And she kept rambling on to Amara and Ron's moaning and yawning. They flopped down outside by a tree close to the lake, where Fred, George and Lee Jordan were tickling the Giant Squid.

Hermione seemed ready to go over the questions, but Ron said it made him feel ill and Amara said she didn't want to know which questions she had got wrong just yet.

"No more revision," Amara sighed

"You could look more cheerful, Harry," said Ron, stretching out on the grass "We've got a week until we find out how badly we've done; there's no need to worry yet."

"I wish I knew what it means," Harry burst out, rubbing his forehead "My scar keeps hurting-it's happened before, but not as often as this."

"Go to Madam Pomfrey," Amara suggested "She could give you something."

"I'm not ill," said Harry "I think it's a warning... it means danger's coming."

"Harry, relax, Hermione's right, the Stone's safe as long as Dumbledore's around. Anyway, we've never had any proof Snape found out how to get past Fluffy. He nearly had his leg ripped off once; he's not going to try it again in a hurry. And Neville will play Quidditch for England before Hagrid lets Dumbledore down." said Ron, not able to get worked up.

Amara idly stretched back on to the grass like Ron and closed her eyes. She thought about what had happened and what Ron had just said. Her exams were finally over and she didn't have to worry about much – well, apart from the whole Snape-stealing-the-Philosopher's-Stone-for-Voldemort thing and the fact that they didn't know when. But Hagrid, for what Harry had said, would _never _betray Dumbledore, unless by accident. _Unless by accident._

_Unless by accident._

Amara shot up the same time Harry jumped up.

"Where are you going?" asked Ron as Amara jumped up too. She glanced at Harry and they had a silent conversation which brought out the fact that Harry had thought of the same thing too.

"To see Hagrid –"

"– just thought of something!" Harry finished.

They ran off down the slopes to his hut.

"Why?" panted Hermione, trying to keep up. Amara grabbed her hand and pulled her forwards.

"Don't you think it's odd," said Harry "That what Hagrid wants more than anything else is a dragon, and a stranger turns up who just happens to have an egg in his pocket? How many people wander around with dragon eggs if it's against wizard law? Lucky they found Hagrid, don't you think? Why didn't I see it before?"

"What are you talking about?" said Ron, but Harry, sprinting across the grounds toward the forest, didn't answer. They hurried after him.

Hagrid was sitting in an armchair outside his house; his trousers and sleeves were rolled up, and he was shelling peas into a large bowl.

"Hullo," he said, smiling. "Finished yer exams? Got time fer a drink?"

"Yes, please," said Ron, but Harry cut him off.

"No, we're in a hurry. Hagrid, I've got to ask you something. You know that night you won Norbert? What did the stranger you were playing cards with look like?"

"Dunno," said Hagrid casually, "he wouldn' take his cloak off."

He saw the four of them look stunned and raised his eyebrows.

"It's not that unusual, yeh get a lot o' funny folk in the Hog's Head - that's the pub down in the village. Mighta bin a dragon dealer, mightn' he? I never saw his face, he kept his hood up."

Harry sank down next to the bowl of peas whilst Amara leant against the arm of the chair. "What did you talk to him about, Hagrid? Did you mention Hogwarts at all?"

"Mighta come up," said Hagrid, frowning as he tried to remember. "Yeah... he asked what I did, an' I told him I was gamekeeper here... He asked a bit about the sorta creatures I took after... so I told him... an' I said what I'd always really wanted was a dragon... an' then... I can' remember too well, 'cause he kept buyin' me drinks... Let's see... yeah, then he said he had the dragon egg an' we could play cards fer it if I wanted... but he had ter be sure I could handle it, he didn' want it ter go ter any old home... So I told him, after Fluffy, a dragon would be easy..."

"And did he - did he seem interested in Fluffy?" Harry asked.

"Well - yeah - how many three-headed dogs d'yeh meet, even around Hogwarts? So I told him, Fluffy's a piece o' cake if yeh know how to calm him down, jus' play him a bit o' music an' he'll go straight off ter sleep - - "

Hagrid suddenly looked horrified.

"I shouldn'ta told yeh that!" he blurted out. "Forget I said it! Hey - where're yeh goin'?"

Amara, Harry, Ron, and Hermione didn't speak to each other at all until they came to a halt in the entrance hall, which seemed very cold and gloomy after the grounds.

"We've got to go to Dumbledore," said Harry. "Hagrid told that stranger how to get past Fluffy, and it was either Snape or Voldemort under that cloak - it must've been easy, once he'd got Hagrid drunk. I just hope Dumbledore believes us. Firenze might back us up if Bane doesn't stop him. Where's Dumbledore's office?"

They looked around, as if hoping to see a sign pointing them in the right direction. They had never been told where Dumbledore lived, nor did they know anyone who had been sent to see him. Amara's heart was beating hard in her chest and she was looking wide-eyed around the corridor

"We'll just have to -" Harry began, but a voice suddenly rang across the hall.

"What are you four doing inside?"

It was Professor McGonagall, carrying a large pile of books.

"We want to see Professor Dumbledore," said Amara and Hermione together.

"See Professor Dumbledore?" Professor McGonagall repeated, as though this was a very fishy thing to want to do. "Why?"

Amara gulped.

"It's sort of secret," he said, and Amara winced at once, because Professor McGonagall's nostrils flared.

"Professor Dumbledore left ten minutes ago," she said coldly. "He received an urgent owl from the Ministry of Magic and flew off for London at once."

"_What?" _gasped Amara – Dumbledore had gone? "He's gone _now?"_

"Professor Dumbledore is a very great wizard, Miss Matthews, and receives a lot of demands –"

"But this is important."

"Something you have to say is more important than the Ministry of Magic, Potter?"

"Look," said Harry, throwing caution to the winds, "Professor - it's about the Philosopher's stone -"

Whatever Professor McGonagall had expected, it wasn't that. The books she was carrying tumbled out of her arms, but she didn't pick them up. "How do you know -?" she spluttered.

"Professor, I think - I _know_ - that Sn-that someone's going to try and steal the Stone. I've got to talk to Professor Dumbledore."

She eyed Harry suspiciously.

"Professor Dumbledore will be back tomorrow," she said finally. I don't know how you found out about the Stone, but rest assured, no one can possibly steal it, it's too well protected."

"But Professor -"

"Potter, I know what I'm talking about," she said shortly. She bent down and gathered up the fallen books. I suggest you all go back outside and enjoy the sunshine."

But they didn't.

"It's tonight," said Harry, once he was sure Professor McGonagall was out of earshot. "Snape's going through the trapdoor tonight. He's found out everything he needs, and now he's got Dumbledore out of the way. He sent that note, I bet the Ministry of Magic will get a real shock when Dumbledore turns up."

"But what can we -"

Hermione gasped. Amara wheeled round.

Snape was standing there, seemingly listening into their conversation.

"Good afternoon," he said smoothly.

They stared at him.

"You shouldn't be inside on a day like this," he said, with an odd, twisted smile.

"We were -" Harry began.

"We were trying to -" Amara tried to finish.

"You want to be more careful," said Snape. "Hanging around like this, people will think you're up to something. And Gryffindor really can't afford to lose any more points, can it?"

Amara scowled. They turned to go outside, but Snape called them back.

"Be warned, Potter - any more night time wanderings and I will personally make sure you are expelled. Good day to you."

He strode off in the direction of the staffroom.

Out on the stone steps, Harry turned to the others.

"Right, here's what we've got to do," he whispered urgently. "One of us has got to keep an eye on Snape - wait outside the staff room and follow him if he leaves it. Hermione and Amara – you two had better do that."

"Why us?" Amara asked

"It's obvious," said Ron. "You can pretend to be waiting for Professor Flitwick, Hermione, you know." He put on a high voice, "'Oh Professor Flitwick, I'm so worried; I think I got question fourteen b wrong...'"

"Oh, shut up," said Hermione, but Amara grinned.

"OK," she said. "I'll be there for moral support."

"And we'd better stay outside the third-floor corridor," Harry told Ron. "Come on."

So Amara and Hermione headed off towards the staffroom. They knocked on the door and waited for someone to come out.

Snape opened the door slightly.

"Yes?" he snapped. "I thought I told you to go outside?"

"We were looking for Professor Flitwick," said Amara.

Snape looked at her in a piercing glare but went to fetch him. He then beckoned them inside. Amara tried to keep her eyes on him, but he left the staffroom three seconds after they went in.

"What is it you wanted, Miss Granger?" squeaked Professor Flitwick "And you, Miss Matthews?"

"I…I," Hermione had noticed Snape's absence. "I really do think I have done a mistake on question fourteen b on the Charms written paper."

Professor Flitwick smiled. "Now, from off the top of my head, I do not know if it is wrong, but, let me tell you, in secret, I might add, that you achieved one hundred and twelve percent in the exam, so no worries there, hmm?"

Hermione was positively beaming when she got out of the staffroom.

"We lost Snape, though," said Amara

Her smile slipped. "I know, I can't believe we let him go – oh!" They had gone through the portrait hole to find Harry and Ron already there.

"I'm sorry, Harry!" she wailed. "Snape came out and asked us what we were doing, so we said we were waiting for Flitwick, and Snape went to get him, and we've only just got away, we don't know where Snape went."

"Well, that's it then, isn't it?" Harry said.

Amara stared at him in confusion. He was pale and his eyes were glittering.

"I'm going out of here tonight and I'm going to try and get to the Stone first."

"You're mad!" said Ron immediately.

"What?" Amara said

"You can't!" said Hermione. "After what McGonagall and Snape have said? You'll be expelled!"

"SO WHAT" Harry shouted. "Don't you understand? If Snape gets hold of the Stone, Voldemort's coming back! Haven't you heard what it was like when he was trying to take over? There won't be any Hogwarts to get expelled from! He'll flatten it, or turn it into a school for the Dark Arts! Losing points doesn't matter anymore, can't you see? D'you think he'll leave you and your families alone if Gryffindor wins the house cup? If I get caught before I can get to the Stone, well, I'll have to go back to the Dursleys and wait for Voldemort to find me there, it's only dying a bit later than I would have, because I'm never going over to the Dark Side! I'm going through that trapdoor tonight and nothing you two say is going to stop me! Voldemort killed my parents, remember?"

He glared at them.

"You're right Harry," said Hermione in a small voice.

"I'll use the invisibility cloak," said Harry. "It's just lucky I got it back."

"But will it cover all four of us?" said Ron.

"All - all four of us?"

"Oh come _on _Harry, d'you think we'd miss out on something like this? And let you go all alone?" Amara grinned.

"Of course not," said Hermione briskly. "How do you think you'd get to the Stone without us? I'd better go and took through my books, there might be something useful..."

"But if we get caught, you two will be expelled, too."

"Not if I can help it," said Hermione grimly. "Flitwick told me in secret that I got a hundred and twelve percent on his exam. They're not throwing me out after that."

"I dunno how you do that Hermione," Amara said "But, you know, I think the cloak _will _fit – I mean, I'm quite small… I think I can fit…"

They sat apart from everyone that night in the common room. Amara was nervously fiddling with her hands, completely unfazed by the fact everyone was ignoring them. Hermione was skimming through all her notes, hoping to come across one of the enchantments they were about to try to break. Amara didn't say anything, she just kept fiddling with her hands, which she did when she was nervous. But this wasn't like the time she was sitting in the Headmistress' room at lunch awaiting her punishment for '_climbing the PE ropes without permission' _eventhough she _hadn't _meant to, she was just telling Lara Pinewood that she could get higher than her.

Slowly, the room emptied as people drifted off to bed.

"Better get the cloak," Ron muttered, as Lee Jordan finally left, stretching and yawning. Harry ran upstairs to his dormitory.

He ran back down to the common room two minutes later.

"We'd better put the cloak on here, and make sure it covers all four of us - if Filch spots one of our feet wandering along on its own -"

"What are you doing?" said a voice from the corner of the room. Neville appeared from behind an armchair, clutching Trevor the toad, who looked as though he'd been making another bid for freedom.

"Nothing, Neville, nothing," said Harry, hurriedly putting the cloak behind his back.

Neville stared at their guilty faces.

"You're going out again," he said.

"No, no, no," said Hermione. "No, we're not. Why don't you go to bed, Neville?"

"Yeah, I mean, _we're _going to, too." Amara lied.

"You can't go out," said Neville, "you'll be caught again. Gryffindor will be in even more trouble."

"You don't understand," said Harry, "this is important."

But Neville was clearly steeling himself to do something desperate.

"I won't let you do it," he said, hurrying to stand in front of the portrait hole. "I'll - I'll fight you!"

"Neville," Ron exploded, "get away from that hole and don't be an idiot -"

"Don't you call me an idiot!" said Neville. I don't think you should be breaking any more rules! And you were the one who told me to stand up to people!"

"Yes, but not to us," said Ron in exasperation. "Neville, you don't know what you're doing."

He took a step forward and Neville dropped Trevor the toad, who leapt out of sight.

"Go on then, try and hit me!" said Neville, raising his fists. "I'm ready!"

Harry turned to Hermione.

"Do something," he said desperately.

Hermione stepped forward.

"Neville," she said, "I'm really, really sorry about this."

She raised her wand.

"_Petrificus Totalus!"_ she cried, pointing it at Neville.

Neville froze. His arms jammed to his sides and his legs springed together. He fell on his face, unable to speak, but his eyes darting around in horror.

"What did you _do?" _Amara asked

"The full-body bind," said Hermione miserably "I'm so sorry, Neville!"

"Good job for sticking up for yourself… but…" Amara trailed off.

"But we had too," said Harry "You'll see."

"Sorry!"

Leaving Neville on the floor certainly put a damper on things as they hurried back under the cloak and out of the common room.

At the foot of the first set of stairs, Mrs Norris was prowling. They side-stepped her (after Ron had wanted to kick her) and carried on, looking behind them to see if she was following, which she wasn't.

They nervously began walking towards the third-floor, watching out for anything. The shadows jumped out at them, and every noise made them wary of Filch. Amara, being the smallest, was squished in the front, and kept tripping when Ron or Harry tripped the back of her heal.

"Watch it!" she hissed, for it was at least the seventh time in five minutes it had happened.

"Sorry,"

It was when they reached the third floor that they met Peeves, who was adjusting a rug so people would trip.

"Who's there?" he asked, his wicked eyes glinting "Are you a ghoulie or a ghostie or a wee student beastie?"

He floated upwards and spoke again.

"Should call Filch, I should, if something's a-creeping around unseen."

Harry spoke behind Amara very suddenly.

"Peeves," he said, in a hoarse whisper, "the Bloody Baron has his own reasons for being invisible."

Peeves almost fell out of the air in shock. He caught himself in time and hovered about a foot off the stairs.

"So sorry, your bloodiness, Mr Baron, Sir," he said greasily. "My mistake, my mistake - I didn't see you - of course I didn't, you're invisible - forgive old Peevsie his little joke, sir."

"I have business here, Peeves," croaked Harry. "Stay away from this place tonight."

"I will, sir, I most certainly will," said Peeves, rising up in the air again. "Hope your business goes well, Baron, I'll not bother you."

And he scooted off.

"Awesome!" breathed Amara

"_Brilliant,_ Harry!" whispered Ron.

A few seconds later, they were there, outside the third-floor corridor - and the door was already ajar.

"Well, there you are," Harry said quietly, "Snape's already got past Fluffy."

Seeing the open door somehow seemed to impress upon all four of them what was facing them. Underneath the cloak, Harry turned to the other three.

"If you want to go back, I won't blame you," he said. "You can take the cloak, I won't need it now."

"Don't be stupid," said Ron.

"We're coming," said Hermione.

"For definite," Amara said firmly.

Harry pushed the door open.

As the door creaked, low, rumbling growls met their ears. All three of the dog's noses sniffed madly in their direction, even though it couldn't see them.

"What's that at its feet?" Hermione whispered.

"Looks like a harp," said Ron. "Snape must have left it there."

"It must wake up the moment you stop playing," said Harry. "Well, here goes..."

He put the flute he had brought to his lips and blew. It wasn't really tuneful, but it definitely did the trick. As soon as the notes came, the dog's eyes began to droop. It shuffled about a bit on its paws before settling down. Its eyes fully closed and it fell into a nice sleep.

"Keep playing," Ron warned Harry as they slipped out of the cloak and crept toward the trapdoor. They could feel the dog's hot, smelly breath as they approached the giant heads.

"I think we'll be able to pull the door open," said Ron, peering over the dog's back. "Want to go first, Hermione?"

"No, I don't!"

"I'll go first," Amara said bravely.

"OK," said Ron, before he gritted his teeth and stepped carefully over the dog's legs. He bent and pulled the ring of the trapdoor, which swung up and open.

"What can you see?" Hermione said anxiously.

"Nothing - just black - there's no way of climbing down, we'll just have to drop."

"You sure you want to go first Amara?" asked Hermione and Amara nodded.

Amara took a deep breath and peered over the side of the trapdoor. It was very dark and had no sign of the bottom.

"If I die, I think it is best _not _to follow me," said Amara "Do something else instead."

She lowered herself so she was hanging onto the trapdoor and her body was dangling underneath.

"See you!"

And she let go. The air rushed around her as she tumbled downwards, she prayed that the bottom was good – THUMP. She landed on something soft and it felt like a plant.

"You can come down now!" she called up, as she got to her feet, trying to get used to the darkness.

Ron came down next; he sprawled over the soft-feeling plant and stayed there.

"What _is _this stuff?"

"I dunno," said Amara, still feeling for a wall, it was difficult to walk anywhere, for the plant seemed to be tripping her up. "Hermione? Harry!"

Hermione then dropped down next to Ron and the music stopped a few seconds later. A low growling could be heard as Harry joined them too.

"Lucky this plant stuff is here," Harry commented as he landed.

"_Lucky?" _Amara suddenly shrieked "The plant- look! It's got you!"

For the plant's long tendrils had wrapped around Ron, Harry and Hermione's legs and ankles.

"What do I do?" Amara panicked, asking Hermione.

"Herbology! This is Devil's Snare!" Hermione gasped, for one was struggling for her throat.

"Oh – right!" Amara remembered "Ron – Harry! Stop moving! It'll make it worse!"

Harry tried to stop moving but failed – the plant had wrapped itself around his chest.

"Devil's Snare – _Devil's Snare… _it lives in dark and damp. What's the opposite of that?"

"AMARA HURRY!" Ron yelled.

Amara got her wand and muttered the spell Hermione had taught her. Bright blue flames shot out of her wand and the Devil's Snare immediately retreated. Harry, Ron and Hermione immediately got to their feet and hurried over.

"Thank Merlin you stood up," Ron said "Or else we'd be dead before the first obstacle."

They headed down a stone passageway which was the only way out of the dark, damp room. There was a steady trickle of water matching their footsteps, but apart from that, it was silent.

"Can you hear something?" Ron whispered.

They listened. A soft rustling and clinking seemed to be coming from up ahead.

"Do you think it's a ghost?" asked Hermione

"I don't know... sounds like wings to me." said Harry

"There's light up ahead," said Amara "let's go find out."

They reached the end of the passageway and found a brightly lit chamber, with an very high, arched ceiling rising above them. The room was filled with some sort of birds, that were multi-coloured and bright. They fluttered all around the chamber, diving and tumbling all around them. Opposite them was a large, heavy, wooden door which was the only way out, apart from the passageway.

"Do you think they'll attack us if we cross the room?" said Ron.

"Probably," said Harry. "They don't look very vicious, but I suppose if they all swooped down at once... well, there's no other choice... I'll run."

Harry covered his face with his arms and sprinted across the room. Amara held her breath and watched the flock of birds warily, wondering if they'd attack. Surprisingly, Harry made it across the room with the birds attacking him, and he tried to open the door.

Amara, Ron and Hermione hurried over too, to see what was going on. The door was locked, and it wouldn't budge at all – even when Hermione used _Alohomora _on it.

"Now what?" said Ron.

"These birds... they can't be here just for decoration," said Hermione.

They watched the birds soaring overhead, glittering in the lights.

"They're not birds!" Harry said suddenly. "They're keys! Winged keys - look carefully. So that must mean..." Amara glanced at the birds doubtfully, but the more she looked, she noticed they were actually keys. "... yes - look! Broomsticks! We've got to catch the key to the door!"

"But which one do we get?" Amara said, gazing around.

Ron examined the lock on the door.

"We're looking for a big, old-fashioned one - probably silver, like the handle."

Amara and the others grabbed a broomstick and flew up in the air. She loved it in the air, but she had to focus. She flew amongst the keys, searching for any silver ones.

But Harry, being the youngest Seeker in a century, found it first.

"That one!" he called to the others. "That big one - there - no, there -with bright blue wings - the feathers are all crumpled on one side."

Ron went speeding in the direction that Harry was pointing, crashed into the ceiling, and nearly fell off his broom. Amara laughed, but stopped at Ron's look.

"You OK?" she asked instead and he nodded.

"We've got to close in on it!" Harry called, not taking his eyes off the key with the damaged wing. "Ron, you come at it from above - Hermione, stay below and stop it from going down – Amara, you go in through the right so I can go for it through the left. Right, NOW!"

Ron dived, Hermione rocketed upward and Amara zoomed at the key from the right. They key dodged Ron and Hermione, so Harry sped after it, with Amara on the right. He caught it against the ceiling, crushing it even more. Amara cheered and the landed on the floor and ran towards the door. The key seemed to struggle as it was shoved inside the lock. Harry turned it and the key took flight again, looking very weary.

"Ready?" Harry asked, his hand on the door handle. They nodded. He pulled the door open.

The next chamber was so dark they couldn't see anything at all. But as they stepped into it, light suddenly flooded the room to reveal an astonishing sight.

They were standing on the edge of a huge chessboard, behind the black chessmen, which were all taller than they were and carved from what looked like black stone. Facing them, way across the chamber, were the white pieces. Amara, Harry, Ron and Hermione shivered slightly - the towering white chessmen had no faces.

"Now what do we do?" Harry whispered.

"It's obvious, isn't it?" said Ron. "We've got to play our way across the room."

Behind the white pieces they could see another door.

"How?" said Hermione nervously.

"I think," said Ron, "we're going to have to be chessmen."

He walked up to a black knight and put his hand out to touch the knight's horse. At once, the stone sprang to life. The horse pawed the ground and the knight turned his helmeted head to look down at Ron.

"Do we - er - have to join you to get across?" The black knight nodded. Ron turned to the other three.

"This needs thinking about he said. I suppose we've got to take the place of three of the black pieces..."

Amara, Harry and Hermione stayed quiet, watching Ron think. Finally he said, "Now, don't be offended or anything, but none of you are that good at chess -"

"We're not offended," said Harry quickly. "Just tell us what to do."

"I don't even _play _chess!" Amara said too.

"Well, Harry, you take the place of that bishop, Hermione, you go there instead of that castle and Amara, you go in the place of the queen."

"What about you?"

"I'm going to be a knight," said Ron.

The chessmen seemed to have been listening, because at these words a knight, a bishop, the black queen and a castle turned their backs on the white pieces and walked off the board, leaving four empty squares that Amara, Harry, Ron, and Hermione took.

"White always plays first in chess," said Ron, peering across the board. "Yes... look..."

A white pawn had moved forward two squares.

Ron started to direct the black pieces. They moved silently wherever he sent them. Amara was nervous – not that she doubted Ron, but because she was hoping that it wasn't wizard's chess, and just normal chess, where the players didn't violently take the other opponent.

"Harry - move diagonally four squares to the right."

Their first real shock came when their other knight was taken. The white queen smashed him to the floor and dragged him off the board, where he lay quite still, facedown.

"Had to let that happen," said Ron, looking shaken. "Leaves you free to take that bishop, Hermione, go on."

Every time one of their men was lost, the white pieces showed no mercy. Soon there was a huddle of limp black players slumped along the wall. Twice, Ron only just noticed in time that Amara, Harry and Hermione were in danger. He himself darted around the board, taking almost as many white pieces as they had lost black ones.

"We're nearly there," he muttered suddenly. "Let me think let me think..."

The white queen turned her blank face toward him.

"Yes..." said Ron softly, "It's the only way... I've got to be taken."

"NO!" Harry and Hermione shouted.

"You _can't!" _Amara said in horror, the image of Ron not moving fixed in her brain.

"That's chess!" snapped Ron. "You've got to make some sacrifices! I take one step forward and she'll take me - that leaves you free to checkmate the king, Harry!"

"But -"

"Do you want to stop Snape or not?"

"Ron -"

"Look, if you don't hurry up, he'll already have the Stone!"

There didn't seem to be another way.

"Ready?" Ron called, his face pale but determined. "Here I go - now, don't hang around once you've won."

He stepped forward, and the white queen pounced. She struck Ron hard across the head with her stone arm, and he crashed to the floor – Amara screamed at that, it looked really painful – the white queen dragged Ron to one side. He looked as if he'd been knocked out.

Shaking, Harry moved three spaces to the left.

The white king took off his crown and threw it at Harry's feet. They had won. The chessmen parted and bowed, leaving the door ahead clear. With one last desperate look back at Ron, Amara, Harry and Hermione charged through the door and up the next passageway.

"What if he's -?"

"He's fine!" Amara said in a high pitched voice.

"He'll be all right," said Harry, "What do you reckon's next?"

"We've had Sprout's, that was the Devil's Snare; Flitwick must've put charms on the keys; McGonagall transfigured the chessmen to make them alive; that leaves Quirrell's spell, and Snape's." said Hermione, ticking them off.

They had reached another door.

"All right?" Harry whispered.

"Go on."

Harry pushed it open.

Amara gagged as a familiar – yet worse – smell entered her nostrils. It was awful, they covered their faces with their robes as they saw the motionless body of a troll, a huge lump on its head.

"I'm glad we didn't have to fight that one," Harry whispered as they stepped carefully over one of its massive legs. "Come on, I can't breathe."

They ran across the chamber and he pulled open the next door, nervously thinking of what they had to do. They saw a table with seven bottles in different shapes and sizes in a line.

"Snape's," said Harry. "What do we have to do?"

They stepped over the threshold, and immediately a fire sprang up behind them in the doorway. It wasn't ordinary fire either; it was purple. At the same instant, black flames shot up in the doorway leading onward. They were trapped.

"What's that?" asked Amara, reaching out and grabbing a piece of parchment that was on the table.

She cleared her throat and read it out:

_"Danger lies before you, while safety lies behind,_

_Two of us will help you, whichever you would find,_

_One among us seven will let you move ahead,_

_Another will transport the drinker back instead,_

_Two among our number hold only nettle-wine,_

_Three of us are killers, waiting hidden in line_

_Choose, unless you wish to stay here forevermore_

_To help you in your choice, we give you these clues four:_

_First, however slyly the poison tries to hide_

_You will always find some on nettle wine's left side_

_Second, different are those who stand at either end_

_But if you would move onward, neither is your friend;_

_Third as you see clearly, all are different size_

_Neither dwarf nor giant hold death in their insides;_

_Fourth, the second left and the second on the right_

_Are twins once you taste them, though different at first sight."_

Amara started grinning at the end of it and heard Hermione sigh. She looked at her and grinned.

"What?" Harry said, looking confused.

"_Brilliant,_" Hermione said "This isn't magic – it's logic – a puzzle. A lot of great wizards haven't got an ounce of logic; they'd be stuck in here forever."

"So will we, won't we?"

"Nah," said Amara "It tells you, here on this parchment, what you need to know, yes, it's a little annoying it's a puzzle, but still! Listen – seven bottles," she pointed at them "three are poison, two are wine, one will transport us through the fire that's black, and one which will go through the purple."

"But how do we know which one to drink?" asked Harry.

"One second," Amara said, and then re-read the passage with Hermione.

They walked between the bottles carefully, occasionally grabbing the parchment back from one another to double check.

Amara went logically – if every poison was on wine's _left _side, and the two at each end didn't get you onwards… the last one on the left could be the 'back' one or poison, the right could either be wine or the 'back' one. She carried this on until she thought she had figured it out. She turned to Hermione.

"Which ones have you got?" Hermione asked.

"Let's do the one that'll transport us back through the purple flames. Now." She pointed at the last one on the right, the same as Hermione.

"OK, the one that'll get us towards Snape?" asked Harry

They both pointed at the smallest bottle.

"There's only enough there for one of us," said Harry "Hermione, Amara, you take the backwards one – no, listen – and get Ron. Use the brooms to fly to the Owlery and contact Dumbledore. I might be able to hold Snape off for a while, but I'm no match to him really."

"But what about Voldemort?" Amara asked.

"Well - I was lucky once, wasn't I?" said Harry, pointing at his scar. "I might get lucky again."

Amara shivered at the thought. Hermione launched herself at Harry in a hug.

"_Hermione!"_

Amara laughed and joined in with the hug.

"_Amara!"_

"Harry – you're a great wizard you know."

"I'm not as good as you, and you Amara," said Harry, looking embarrassed as they stopped hugging.

Amara snorted and Hermione said "Me! Books! And cleverness! There are more important things – friendship and bravery and – oh Harry – be _careful!"_

"Let him breathe Hermione!" said Amara "But, Harry, do be careful!"

"You drink first," Harry said "You are both sure which is which, aren't you?"

"Yeah," said Amara, taking the bottle and drinking half of it. She shuddered as the drink went down, it was so cold.

"It's not poison?" asked Harry as Hermione took a drink too.

"No, but's it's like ice."

"Quick, go before it wears off!"

"Take care –"

"Good luck -!"

"GO!"

Amara turned with Hermione, clutching her hand and squeezing her eyes shut, and walked through the purple flames.


	14. After the Obstacles

**_A/N only one more chapter left after this! I'm on the fourth chapter of the next book, so i don't know when i will put that up. Enjoy!_**

**_Chapter Fourteen_**

**_After the Obstacles_**

Amara opened her eyes when she smelt the disgusting stench of the motionless troll. They ran through the chamber and into the chessboard beyond.

Ron was lying on the side of the board, still lying unconscious. They hurried over, the other pieces of chessmen once again motionless on the sides of the board and the area around it.

"_Ron!" _

They knelt down in front of him and checked his pulse.

"He's defiantly just knocked out," said Amara, shaking him "Ron! WAKE UP!"

It took a long while to get Ron to wake up, and Hermione and Amara were getting desperate.

Finally, Ron gave out a groan.

"Wha – what happened?" he asked, opening his eyes.

"Ron, we have to go to the Owlery! Harry could be dying!"

Ron woke up quickly and got to his feet. He swayed a little and Amara had to steady him.

"Are you OK?" she asked "You got hit pretty hard."

Ron nodded. "I'm fine – let's _go!"_

They ran back to the flying-key room, dodging pieces of stray chessmen as they went. They opened the door and went inside. Grabbing a broom each, they glanced at each other before taking off. They zoomed down the narrow passageway towards the chamber of Devil's Snare, which was still recovering from the light-attack. Amara gulped and started accelerating upwards. She saw the small square of light high above her, and Fluffy's nasty growls. They shot up out of the trapdoor – surprising Fluffy so much, it stopped growling and blinked in astonishment. Amara, Ron and Hermione stopped for a mere second to grab the Invisibility Cloak before rocketing off at full speed. They shot out of the third-floor corridor before they managed to whack themselves against the wall. They hopped off, swaying slightly from the impact and ran off again, discarding the now motionless brooms on the floor.

They hurried down the stairs all the way to the Entrance Hall. They ran across it until WHAM! Amara smacked into something very solid. From her place on the floor, she saw it was Dumbledore, who was looking slightly windswept.

"Sorry, Miss Matthews," he said "But – Harry's gone after him, hasn't he?"

They had time to nod hastily and Amara to get up before he was hurtling up the staircase.

"_Go to the Hospital Wing!" _he called behind them.

They stood still for a moment, breathing heavily.

"Holy, _Merlin!_" Amara said "Shall we go to the Hospital Wing, then? Ron, you need to get checked out the most."

They walked slowly back up the staircases, pulling the Cloak back on when they heard noises. When they reached the doors, exhausted, they went inside to find Madam Pomfrey giving a student something.

"What on _earth _have you been _doing?" _she shrieked as she saw them, for, they were covered in dust and slimy-stuff from the walls of the chambers.

"We – er, need to get Ron checked out," Amara said "He got knocked out."

Madam Pomfrey, cursing about children, sorted out Ron, who was very dizzy, and then Amara and Hermione, who had several scratches. She made them go after about twenty minutes, so they traipsed back to the common room, sleepily.

Neville seemed to have gotten free from his curse, as he had vanished when they had walked through the portrait hole (After the Fat Lady had squawked "Where on earth have you been?"). They decided that Harry would be safe with Dumbledore, so they headed up their stairways and fell into bed – Amara only took her robe off before she was fast asleep.

-OOOOOO-

"Amara!"

Amara groaned. "Goaway," she mumbled "Leavemealone."

"_Amara!" _

"What?" she snapped, opening her eyes to find Hermione leaning over her in bed.

"Harry!"

With these words, Amara shot up – dodging Hermione – and tumbled out of bed.

"Where? Is he OK?" she asked hurriedly, grabbing a pair of yellow shorts and a pink T Shirt. She pulled on her trainers and swiftly put her hair in two plaits.

She ran after Hermione, who had gone to the Common Room to wait with Ron. They rushed out of the portrait hole and practically ran towards the Hospital Wing. As it was only seven o'clock, Madam Pomfrey was very displeased at their arrival and demanded that they left at once, as they were disrupting the goings-on in the Wing. She then told them Harry was in bed, and hadn't woken up yet as he had gone unconscious during his battle.

So Amara, Ron and Hermione went down to the Great Hall for breakfast instead, where there were a lot of whispers as they walked in. Confused, they glanced at the High Table, and saw Snape sitting there. Quirrell, was in fact, nowhere to be seen.

"What?" Amara blinked as they sat down. They ate their breakfast quickly, like the people around them to see if Dumbledore was going to say anything.

When he finally stood up, there was an instant hush in the Great Hall.

"Due to unfortunate circumstances," he began "Professor Quirrell will no longer be able to return to his teaching post as Defence Against the Dark Arts Professor next year, good day to you."

As he sat back down, murmurs buzzed around the Great Hall like bees.

"What _happened _with Harry?" Amara wondered, as Dean and Seamus came over.

"Neville told us," said Dean as they sat down "You lot and Harry sneaked out of the common room last night to do something. What the hell _happened?" _

Amara looked around and giggled when she saw half the Gryffindor table leaning in to hear. She looked at Ron and Hermione.

"Well, we don't know what happened to Harry yet, but we _did _sneak out of the common room…" Amara began.

Sometime later, she had finally finished, and had a rather big crowd of students leaning in to hear.

"Wow."

"Holy Merlin!"

"Hey, do you think that Harry would like a toilet seat?" Fred asked

"Let's get him one anyway," George said and Amara laughed.

They were soon shooed away so that lessons would begin, but they had a free period after lunch they went to the Hospital Wing again to see if Harry had woken up yet. Madam Pomfrey allowed them to stay for a mere five minutes to see him, but made them go away very soon because he had yet to wake up.

-OOOOOO-

The next day was Saturday and the match between Gryffindor and Ravenclaw. Without Harry, the others in the team didn't fare very well. In fact they were shamefully _steamrolled _and then _trampled _by Ravenclaw, which left the Gryffindors very irritated. They went to find Fred and George after the match.

"Alright there?" Fred said as the wandered over.

"How's Harry?" asked George, putting his broom away.

"Not woken up yet," said Ron "He's not going to be happy that he missed a match."

"Yeah, well, we were Officially Beaten today – I think Wood is still in the showers, probably trying to drown his sorrows," said George, shaking his head.

"Well," said Amara "You can't say you didn't _try, _I mean, you did!"

Their conversation brought them right back to the castle, where Fred and George decided they needed to do 'something' (which Amara decided not to ask) so they left them alone.

They headed back to the common room again, ignoring the whispers that students directed towards them. There were a lot of rumours going around about what happened, all even more ridiculous than the last. The older years had taken it upon them to decide what happened, and some were very ludicrous.

It wasn't until the day before the last day feast that they heard Harry was awake. They sprinted to the Hospital the first chance they got, but Madam Pomfrey wouldn't allow them in.

"Now, really!" she snapped, for it was the third time they had bugged her "The boy needs rest!"

But five minutes later, she let them in.

"Harry!" Amara said "Are you alright?"

Harry smiled slightly.

"Oh Harry – we were sure you were going to – Dumbledore was so worried –"

"There are _so _many rumours –" said Amara

"- but what _really _happened?" asked Ron.

They found out that the rumours going around the school were actually not as good as the real thing itself. Amara had rolled her eyes at the wild rumours spreading about – but this was better than the stupid-but-funny ideas people had. Harry told them in great detail of what happened.

"When I had gone through the fire – that was weird, wasn't it? You could see the flames, anyway – I saw the Mirror of Erised standing in the middle and Quirrell standing in front of it. It turns out that _he _was behind this the entire time! _He _jinxed my broom and let the troll in! He was trying to get the stone, which was inside the mirror, but couldn't seem to do it. Then this voice told him to use me, and I was all tied up. He let me go and I decided to lie about what I saw – when I looked in, I just saw me at first. Then I winked and showed the stone, then placed it in my pocket. The moment I did _I _felt it in my real pocket too! I lied about what I saw, but then the voice came back and said I was lying. So then Quirrell took off his turban after he talked to his voice, and turned around. It was _Voldemort _on the back of his head!" Harry explained.

At this, Hermione actually screamed and Amara clapped her hands to her mouth.

"So Voldemort knew I was lying, so he decided to make Quirrell kill me. But, whenever Quirrell touched me he blistered everywhere. I realised this so I grabbed him and tried to keep hold. It really hurt as my scar was completely blinding in pain, and I felt someone pull me back so I thought I was dying, but then I passed out. I woke with Dumbledore here, who told me _he _pulled me back because I was nearly killing myself. The stone was destroyed."

"Jeez," said Amara "A lot happened, then."

"So the stone's gone?" said Ron "Flamel's just going to _die_?"

"I don't think it's that much of a deal – I mean, he was six hundred odd years old, right?" Amara said

"That's what I said, what Ron said, but Dumbledore thinks that - what was it? - 'to the well-organized mind, death is but the next great adventure."

"I always said he was off his rocker," said Ron, looking quite impressed at how crazy his hero was.

"So what happened to you two?" said Harry.

"Well, we got back all right," said Hermione. "We brought Ron round - that took a while - and we were dashing up to the Owlery to contact Dumbledore when we met him in the entrance hall - he already knew - he just said, 'Harry's gone after him, hasn't he?' and hurtled off to the third floor."

"Yeah," said Amara "I dunno how, though."

"D'you think he meant you to do it?" said Ron. "Sending you your father's cloak and everything?"

"_Well,_" Hermione exploded, "if he did - I mean to say that's terrible - you could have been killed."

"No, it isn't," said Harry thoughtfully. "He's a funny man, Dumbledore. I think he sort of wanted to give me a chance. I think he knows more or less everything that goes on here, you know. I reckon he had a pretty good idea we were going to try, and instead of stopping us, he just taught us enough to help. I don't think it was an accident he let me find out how the mirror worked. It's almost like he thought I had the right to face Voldemort if I could..."

"Yeah, Dumbledore's off his rocker, all right," said Ron proudly. "Listen, you've got to be up for the end-of-year feast tomorrow. The points are all in and Slytherin won, of course - you missed the last Quidditch match, we were steamrollered by Ravenclaw without you - but the food'll be good."

At that moment, Madam Pomfrey bustled over.

"You've had nearly fifteen minutes, now OUT" she said firmly.


	15. The End of the Year

**_A/N There! The end of the first year! I hope you enjoyed it - I'll see if i can upload the other one soon (please keep checking!) as i have about 5 chapters done. Thanks to everyone! :)_**

**_Chapter Fifteen_**

**_The End of the Year_**

The next evening, Amara, Ron and Hermione went down to the Feast in good spirits. They knew that Harry was going to be let out, as Dumbledore had said he could. They hadn't been able to visit again, because Madam Pomfrey was annoyed she had let them stay for so long the day before.

"I'm glad everything's back to normal," said Amara as they walked into the Great Hall. The House Points had been counted that day and it was obvious Slytherin had one, for emerald green and silver banners lined the walls. Gryffindor, of course, had come last place, which Malfoy had a lot to say about whenever they saw him.

'Well,' she corrected herself in her head 'as normal as it would be in a magical school.'

Harry arrived after they had sat down. He sat next to Ron, with Amara and Hermione opposite them. There was a sudden hush when he walked in and people started talking loudly and standing up to get a good look at him.

Dumbledore arrived a moment later, so they all sat down and an automatic silence filled the hall, as though the volume had been turned down.

"Another year gone!" Dumbledore said cheerfully. "And I must trouble you with an old man's wheezing waffle before we sink our teeth into our delicious feast. What a year it has been! Hopefully your heads are all a little fuller than they were... you have the whole summer ahead to get them nice and empty before next year starts...

"Now, as I understand it, the house cup here needs awarding, and the points stand thus: In fourth place, Gryffindor, with two hundred and sixty two; in third, Hufflepuff, with three hundred and fifty-two; Ravenclaw has four hundred and twenty-six and Slytherin, four hundred and seventy-two."

A storm of cheering and stamping broke out from the Slytherin table. Draco Malfoy was banging his goblet on the table. It made Amara nauseous.

"Yes, Yes, well done, Slytherin," said Dumbledore. "However, recent events must be taken into account."

The room went very still. The Slytherins' smiles faded a little.

"Ahem," said Dumbledore. "I have a few last-minute points to dish out. Let me see. Yes...

"First - to Mr Ronald Weasley..."

Ron went purple in the face; he looked like a radish with a bad sunburn.

"... for the best-played game of chess Hogwarts has seen in many years, I award Gryffindor house fifty points."

Gryffindor cheers nearly raised the bewitched ceiling; the stars overhead seemed to quiver. Percy could be heard telling the other prefects, "My brother, you know! My youngest brother! Got past McGonagall's giant chess set!"

At last there was silence again.

"Second - to Miss Hermione Granger... for the use of cool logic in the face of fire, I award Gryffindor house fifty points."

Hermione buried her face in her arms; Amara suspected that she had burst into tears. Gryffindors up and down the table were beside themselves - they were a hundred points up.

"Third – to Miss Amara Matthews… for keeping her bravery when hope seemed lost, I award Gryffindor house fifty points."

Amara blushed as the whole of Gryffindor house yelled in euphoria that they had overtaken Hufflepuff.

"Fourth - to Mr Harry Potter..." said Dumbledore. The room went deadly quiet. "for pure nerve and outstanding courage, I award Gryffindor house sixty points."

The din was deafening. Those who could add up while yelling themselves hoarse knew that Gryffindor now had four hundred and seventy-two points - exactly the same as Slytherin. They had tied for the house cup - if only Dumbledore had given Harry just one more point.

Dumbledore raised his hand. The room gradually fell silent.

"There are all kinds of courage," said Dumbledore, smiling. "It takes a great deal of bravery to stand up to our enemies, but just as much to stand up to our friends. I therefore award ten points to Mr Neville Longbottom."

Someone standing outside the Great Hall might well have thought some sort of explosion had taken place, so loud was the noise that erupted from the Gryffindor table. Amara, Harry, Ron, and Hermione stood up to yell and cheer as Neville, white with shock, disappeared under a pile of people hugging him. He had never won so much as a point for Gryffindor before. Harry, still cheering, nudged Ron in the ribs and poked Amara and pointed at Malfoy, who couldn't have looked more stunned and horrified if he'd just had the Body-Bind Curse put on him.

Amara was so happy she had tears in her eyes, she yelled herself hoarse in her excitement.

"Which means," Dumbledore called over the storm of applause, for even Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff were celebrating the downfall of Slytherin, "we need a little change of decoration."

He clapped his hands. In an instant, the green hangings became scarlet and the silver became gold; the huge Slytherin serpent vanished and a towering Gryffindor lion took its place. Snape was shaking Professor McGonagall's hand, with a horrible, forced smile. Amara laughed at his expression of pure disgust.

It was one of the best nights of Amara's life – she couldn't wait to tell her stories to Tessie and Ethan. The yelling went on for ages, everyone was so happy. But when they finally settled down, they had an amazing feast, which tasted so much better with the knowledge that they had beaten Slytherin, and Malfoy couldn't gloat anymore. Amara helped herself to everything, chatting about her holidays with others. Fred and George bounced over too, to shake Harry's hand (so much his glasses fell off) and to hug Amara and Hermione, because they 'helped beat the Slytherins'. They also congratulated Ron, and said it was a pleasant surprise for them. All in all, Amara was sad that it came to an end, but hoped after the summer, her year would be just as exciting.

-OOOOOO-

It was a surprise when the exam results came out, and a surprise when Amara's score in Charms and Transfiguration was very close to Hermione's, who, of course, had the best results out of everyone. Harry and Ron had achieved great marks as well – even Neville had passed, with his Herbology mark making up for his Potions one. Goyle, Malfoy's crony, had passed as well, which dampened their spirits slightly, for he was so stupid Amara was surprised he could even pick up his wand. It was a shame, but as Ron said, you couldn't have everything in life.

All of a sudden, they had to pack their trunks and empty their wardrobes. Amara found it difficult, for she had left something everywhere – she had to find her tie in the Common Room, because it had somehow made its way down the stairs. Neville had found his toad in their bathroom and they were given notes telling them not to use magic over the holidays.

"I always hope they'll forget to give us these," said Fred sadly whilst they were waiting in the Common room. Amara was sad to leave Hogwarts; she'd miss the stairs and passageways, the ghosts and the suits of armour – the paintings and the common room and defiantly her cosy four poster bed. She couldn't wait for the summer though – two whole months of relaxing!

Hagrid took them over the lake in the boats (after leaving the trunks behind, of course.) and soon they were boarding the Hogwarts Express, joking and laughing. They peered out the window for the last glance of the castle before it disappeared behind the mountains. They ate sweets from the trolley and chatted aimlessly about what they were going to do. Harry was a little glum – he didn't want to go back to his Aunt and Uncle's house.

"Cheer up, Harry, we'll write, don't worry." said Amara as she ate a cauldron cake. Outside the countryside became tidier and Amara and Hermione went to the bathroom to put on their normal clothes. They sped past Muggle towns and villages where the fields were greener. Soon, they pulled into Platform 9 and ¾ at King's Cross Station.

It took ages for them to get off the platform – a wizened old guard was standing by the barrier, letting them go in twos and threes. They dragged their trunks with them – Harry and Ron holding Hedwig and Scabbers too. They would have got trolleys, but they were all used up.

"You must come and stay this summer," said Ron, whilst they were queuing. "all of you - I'll send you owls."

"Thanks," said Harry, "I'll need something to look forward to."

People jostled them as they moved forward toward the gateway back to the Muggle world. Some of them called:

"Bye, Harry!"

"See you, Potter!"

"Still famous," said Ron, grinning at him.

"Not where I'm going, I promise you," said Harry.

Amara and Hermione went after Ron and Harry went through the barrier. Immediately, they heard a voice.

"There he is, Mum, there he is, look!"

It was a small red-headed girl, who seemed to be Ron's younger sister Ginny.

"Harry Potter!" she squealed. "Look, Mum! I can see –"

"Be quiet, Ginny, and it's rude to point."

Mrs Weasley smiled down at them.

"Busy year?" she said.

"Very," said Harry. "Thanks for the fudge and the sweater, Mrs Weasley."

"Oh, it was nothing, dear."

"Yes, thank you Mrs Weasley." Amara said and Mrs Weasley smiled at her.

"Ready, are you?" a gruff voice came from behind them. Amara turned around to find a purple-faced, fat man with a large moustache and a furious expression on his face. It seemed to be Harry's Uncle, Vernon. Amara knew immediately why Harry hated going home – the way he was looking at Hedwig would kill. Behind him stood a horsed-face skinny woman with a very fat boy standing, looking terrified, next to her. This must be Petunia and Dudley, Amara thought.

"You must be Harry's family!" said Mrs Weasley.

"In a manner of speaking," said Mr Dursley. "Hurry up, boy, we haven't got all day." He walked away.

Harry hung back for a last word with Amara, Ron and Hermione.

"See you over the summer, then."

"Hope you have - er - a good holiday," said Hermione, looking uncertainly after Uncle Vernon, shocked that anyone could be so unpleasant.

"Oh, I will," said Harry, and they were surprised at the grin that was spreading over his face. "They don't know we're not allowed to use magic at home. I'm going to have a lot of fun with Dudley this summer..."

Amara laughed as he walked away.

"Amara!" called another voice. It was Mrs Matthews, hurrying over to her, with Tessie and Ethan running behind her, looking ecstatic.

"Mum!" Amara squealed happily, hugging her.

"How have you been, dear?" she asked, smoothing imaginary creases out of Amara's coat.

"Fine, thanks – look, this is Ron and Hermione – Harry's already gone…" Amara introduced.

Mrs Matthews struck up conversation with Mrs Weasley while Amara hung back to chat with Ron, Hermione (who had introduced her parents too) Fred and George. Tessie and Ethan were rather shy of everyone, but talked to Ginny about Hogwarts.

"Well – have a great summer!" Amara said as they started to walk away.

"What _did _you do this year, Mara?" asked Tessie as they walked away.

"Well…" said Amara "Firstly we tackled a mountain troll, it was _huge…"_

_~End of First Year~_


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